•  ••••••. 


%»«***«^ 


( 

♦ 

t) 

'I  • 


1  ^^ 

^    W/TMH/5 
^1^        WIFE         ^> 

^     E.P.ROE    t^ 


o  •  e  ft  «  tf  -^  -urf"^' 


«>««••«. 


UCSB  LIBRARr 


Copyright,  1886, 

BY 

DODD,  MEAD  &   COMPANY. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER 

PAGE 

I. 

Left  Alone 

I 

II. 

A  Very  Interested  Friend, 

II 

III. 

Mrs.  Mumpson  Negotiates  and  Yields, 

22 

IV. 

Domestic  Bliss, 

34 

V. 

Mrs.  Mumpson  Takes  up  Her  Burdens, 

42 

VI. 

A  Marriage?           ..... 

52 

VII. 

From  Home  to  the  Street,     . 

.       62 

VIII. 

Holcroft's  View  of  Matrimony, 

68 

IX. 

Mrs.  Mumpson  Accepts  Her  Mission, 

•       77, 

.   X. 

A  Night  of  Terror,       .... 

88 

XI. 

Baffled 

.       96 

XII. 

Jane 

109 

XIII. 

Not  Wife,  but  Waif, 

.     120 

XIV. 

A  Pitched  Battle,         .... 

128 

XV. 

*'  What  is  to  Become  of  Me?  " 

.     137 

XVI. 

Mrs.  Mumpson's  Vicissitudes, 

147 

XVII. 

A  Momentous  Decision, 

.     161 

XVIII. 

HoLCROFT  Gives  His  Hand, 

171 

XIX. 

A  Business  Marriage, 

.     183 

IV 

CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER 

PAGE 

XX. 

Uncle  Jonathan's   Impression  of 

THE 

Bride,            

.       194 

XXI. 

At  Home, 

203 

XXII. 

Getting  Acquainted, 

.      213 

XXIII. 

Between  the  Past  and  Future, 

225 

XXIV. 

Given  Her  Own  Way,     . 

.       239 

XXV. 

A  Charivari, 

252 

XXVI. 

"  You  Don't  Know," 

.      266 

XXVII. 

Farm  and  Farmer  Bewitched, 

279 

XXVIII. 

Another  Waif,        .... 

.      292 

XXIX. 

Husband  and  Wife  in  Trouble, 

.            306 

XXX. 

Holcroft's  Best  Hope, 

.      319 

XXXI. 

"  Never  !  " 

332 

XXXII. 

Jane  Plays  Mouse  to  the  Lion,     . 

.     344 

XXXIII. 

•'  Shrink  from  You  ?" 

355 

HE  FELL  IN  LOVE  WITH  HIS  WIFE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

LEFT   ALONE. 

The  dreary  March  evening  is  rapidly  passing  from 
murky  gloom  to  obscurity.  Gusts  of  icy  rain  and  sleet 
are  sweeping  full  against  a  man  who,  though  driving, 
bows  his  head  so  low  that  he  cannot  see  his  horses.  The 
patient  beasts,  however,  plod  along  the  miry  road,  unerr- 
ingly taking  their  course  to  the  distant  stable  door.  The 
highway  sometimes  passes  through  a  grove  on  the  edge 
of  a  forest,  and  the  trees  creak  and  groan  as  they  writhe 
in  the  heavy  blasts.  In  occasional  groups  of  pines  there 
is  sighing  and  moaning  almost  human  in  suggestiveness 
of  trouble.  Never  had  Nature  been  in  a  more  dismal 
mood,  never  had  she  been  more  prodigal  of  every  ele- 
ment of  discomfort,  and  never  had  the  hero  of  my  story 
been  more  cast  down  in  heart  and  hope  than  on  this 
chaotic  day  which,  even  to  his  dull  fancy,  appeared  clos- 
ing in  harmony  with  his  feelings  and  fortune.  He  is 
going  home,  yet  the  thought  brings  no  assurance  of  wel- 
come and  comfort.  As  he  cowers  upon  the  seat  of  his 
market  wagon,  he  is  to  the  reader  what  he  is  in  the  fading 
light — a  mere  dim  outline  of  a  man.  His  progress  is  so 
slow  that  there  will  be  plenty  of  time  to  relate  some  facts 


HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE, 

about  him  which  will  make  the  scenes  and  events  to 
follow  more  intelligible. 

James  Holcroft  is  a  middle-aged  man  and  the  owner  of 
a  small,  hilly  farm.  He  had  inherited  his  rugged  acres 
from  his  father,  had  always  lived  upon  them,  and  the  feel- 
ing had  grown  strong  with  the  lapse  of  time  that  he  could 
live  nowhere  else.  Yet  he  knew  that  he  was,  in  the  ver- 
nacular of  the  region,  "  going  down  hill."  The  small 
savings  of  years  were  slowly  melting  away,  and  the  de- 
pressing feature  of  this  truth  was  that  he  did  not  see  how 
he  could  help  himself.  He  was  not  a  sanguine  man,  but 
rather  one  endowed  with  a  hard,  practical  sense  which 
made  it  clear  that  the  down-hill  process  had  only  to  con- 
tinue sufficiently  long  to  leave  him  landless  and  penniless. 
It  was  all  so  distinct  on  this  dismal  evening  that  he 
groaned  aloud. 

"  If  it  comes  to  that,  I  don't  know  what  I'll  do— crawl 
away  on  a  night  like  this  and  give  up,  like  enough." 

Perhaps  he  was  right.  When  a  man  with  a  nature  like 
his  "  gives  up,"  the  end  has  come.  The  low,  sturdy  oaks 
that  grew  so  abundantly  along  the  road  were  types  of 
his  character — they  could  break,  but  not  bend.  He  had 
little  suppleness,  little  power  to  adapt  himself  to  varied 
conditions  of  life.  An  event  had  occurred  a  year  since, 
which,  for  months,  he  could  only  contemplate  with  dull 
wonder  and  dismay.  In  his  youth  he  had  married  the 
daughter  of  a  small  farmer.  Like  himself,  she  had  al- 
ways been  accustomed  to  toil  and  frugal  living.  From 
childhood  she  had  been  impressed  with  the  thought  that 
parting  with  a  dollar  was  a  serious  matter,  and  to  save  a 
dollar  one  of  the  good  deeds  rewarded  in  this  life  and  the 
life  to  come.  She  and  her  husband  were  in  complete 
harmony  on  this  vital  point.     Yet  not  a  miserly  trait  en- 


LEFT  ALONE,  3 

tered  into  their  humble  thrift.  It  was  a  necessity 
entailed  by  their  meager  resources  ;  it  was  inspired  by 
the  wish  for  an  honest  independence  in  their  old  age. 

There  was  to  be  no  old  age  for  her.  She  took  a  heavy 
cold,  and  almost  before  her  husband  was  aware  of  her 
danger,  she  had  left  his  side.  He  was  more  than  grief- 
stricken,  he  was  appalled.  No  children  had  blessed 
their  union,  and  they  had  become  more  and  more  to  each 
other  in  their  simple  home  life.  To  many  it  would  have 
seemed  a  narrow  and  even  a  sordid  life.  It  could  not 
have  been  the  latter,  for  all  their  hard  work,  their  petty 
economies  and  plans  to  increase  the  hoard  in  the  savings 
bank  were  robbed  of  sordidness  by  an  honest,  quiet  affec- 
tion for  each  other,  by  mutual  sympathy  and  a  common 
purpose.  It  undoubtedly  was  a  meager  life,  which  grew 
narrower  with  time  and  habit.  There  had  never  been 
much  romance  to  begin  with,  but  something  that  often 
wears  better — mutual  respect  and  affection.  From  the 
first,  James  Holcroft  had  entertained  the  sensible  hope 
that  she  was  just  the  girl  to  help  him  make  a  living  from 
his  hillside  farm,  and  he  had  not  hoped  for  or  even 
thought  of  very  much  else  except  the  harmony  and  good 
comradeship  which  bless  people  who  are  suited  to  each 
other.  He  had  been  disappointed  in  no  respect ;  they 
had  toiled  and  gathered  like  ants  ;  they  were  confidential 
partners  in  the  homely  business  and  details  of  the  farm ; 
nothing  was  wasted,  not  even  time.  The  little  farmhouse 
abounded  in  comfort,  and  was  a  model  of  neatness  and 
order.  If  it  and  its  surroundings  were  devoid  of  grace 
and  ornament,  they  were  not  missed,  for  neither  of  its 
occupants  had  ever  been  accustomed  to  such  things.  The 
years  which  passed  so  uneventfully  only  cemented  the 
union   and  increased    the  sense  of  mutual    dependence 


4  HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE. 

They  would  have  been  regarded  as  exceedingly  matter- 
of-fact  and  undemonstrative,  but  they  were  kind  to  each 
other  and  understood  each  other.  Feeling  that  they 
were  slowly  yet  surely  getting  ahead,  they  looked  forward 
to  an  old  age  of  rest  and  a  sufficiency  for  their  simple 
needs.  Then,  before  he  could  realize  the  truth,  he  was 
left  alone  at  her  wintry  grave  ;  neighbors  dispersed  after 
the  brief  service,  and  he  plodded  back  to  his  desolate 
home.  There  was  no  relative  to  step  in  and  partially 
make  good  his  loss.  Some  of  the  nearest  residents  sent 
a  few  cooked  provisions  until  he  could  get  help,  but  these 
attentions  soon  ceased.  It  was  believed  that  he  was 
abundantly  able  to  take  carf  of  himself,  and  he  was  left 
to  do  so.  He  was  not  exa(  dy  unpopular,  but  had  been 
much  too  reticent  and  had  lived  too  secluded  a  life  to 
find  uninvited  sympathy  now.  He  was  the  last  man, 
however,  to  ask  for  sympathy  or  help  ;  and  this  was  not 
due  to  misanthropy,  but  simply  to  temperament  and 
habits  of  life.  He  and  his  wife  had  been  sufhcient  for 
each  other,  and  the  outside  world  was  excluded  chiefly 
because  they  had  no  time  or  taste  for  social  interchanges. 
As  a  result,  he  suffered  serious  disadvantages  ;  he  was 
misunderstood  and  virtually  left  to  meet  his  calamity 
alone. 

But,  indeed,  he  could  scarcely  have  met  it  in  any  other 
way.  Even  to  his  wife,  he  had  never  formed  the  habit  of 
speaking  freely  of  his  thoughts  and  feelings.  There  had 
been  no  need,  so  complete  was  the  understandingbetween 
them.  A  hint,  a  sentence,  revealed  to  each  other  their 
simple  and  limited  processes  of  thought.  To  talk  about 
her  now  to  strangers  was  impossible.  He  had  no  lan- 
guage by  which  to  express  the  heavy,  paralyzing  pain  in 
his  heart. 


LEFT  ALONE.  5 

For  a  time  he  performed  necessary  duties  in  a  dazed, 
mechanical  way.  The  horses  and  live  stock  were  fed 
regularly,  the  cows  milked  ;  but  the  milk  stood  in  the 
dairy  room  until  it  spoiled.  Then  he  would  sit  down  at 
his  desolate  hearth  and  gaze  for  hours  into  the  fire,  until 
it  sunk  down  and  died  out.  Perhaps  no  class  in  the 
world  suffer  from  such  a  terrible  sense  of  loneliness  as 
simple-natured  country  people,  to  whom  a  very  few  have 
been  all  the  company  they  required. 

At  last  Holcroft  partially  shook  off  his  stupor,  and 
began  the  experiment  of  keeping  house  and  maintaining 
his  dairy  with  hired  help.  For  a  long  year  he  had  strug- 
gled on  through  all  kinds  of  domestic  vicissitude,  con- 
scious all  the  time  that  things  were  going  from  bad  to 
worse.  His  house  was  isolated,  the  region  sparsely 
settled,  and  good  help  difficult  to  be  obtained  under 
favoring  auspices.  The  few  respectable  women  in  the 
neighborhood  who  occasionally  "  lent  a  hand  "  in  other 
homes  than  their  own  would  not  compromise  themselves, 
as  they  expressed  it,  by  "  keepin'  house  for  a  widower." 
Servants  obtained  from  the  neighboring  town  either  could 
not  endure  the  loneliness,  or  else  were  ,go  wasteful  and 
ignorant  that  the  farmer,  in  sheer  desperation,  discharged 
them.  The  silent,  grief-stricken,  rugged-featured  man 
was  no  company  for  anyone.  The  year  was  but  a  record 
of  changes,  waste,  and  small  pilferings.  Although  he 
knew  he  could  not  afford  it,  he  tried  the  device  of  obtain- 
ing two  women  instead  of  one,  so  that  they  might  have 
society  in  each  other  ;  but  either  they  would  not  stay  or 
else  he  found  that  he  had  two  thieves  to  deal  with  instead 
of  one — brazen,  incompetent  creatures  who  knew  more 
about  whisky  than  milk,  and  who  made  his  home  a 
terror  to  him. 


6  HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

Some  asked  good-naturedly,  "  Why  don't  you  marry 
again  ?  "  Not  only  was  the  very  thought  repugnant,  but 
he  knew  well  that  he  was  not  the  man  to  thrive  on  any- 
such  errand  to  the  neighboring  farmhouses.  Though 
apparently  he  had  little  sentiment  in  his  nature,  yet  the 
memory  of  his  wife  was  like  his  religion.  He  felt  that  he 
could  not  put  an  ordinary  woman  into  his  wife's  place,, 
and  say  to  her  the  words  he  had  spoken  before.  Such  a 
marriage  would  be  to  him  a  grotesque  farce,  at  which  his 
soul  revolted. 

At  last  he  was  driven  to  the  necessity  of  applying  for 
help  to  an  Irish  family  that  had  recently  moved  into  the 
neighborhood.  The  promise  was  forbidding,  indeed,  as 
he  entered  the  squalid  abode  in  which  were  huddled  men,, 
women,  and  children.  A  sister  of  the  mistress  of  the 
shanty  was  voluble  in  her  assurances  of  unlimited  capa- 
bility. 

'*  Faix  I  kin  do  all  the  wourk,  in  doors  and  out,  so  I 
takes  the  notion,"  she  had  asserted. 

There  certainly  was  no  lack  of  bone  and  muscle  in  the 
big,  red-faced,  middle-aged  woman  who  was  so  ready  to 
preside  at  his  hearth  and  glean  from  his  diminished  dairy 
a  modicum  of  profit  ;  but  as  he  trudged  home  along  the 
wintry  road,  he  experienced  strong  feelings  of  disgust  at 
the  thought  of  such  a  creature  sitting  by  the  kitchen  fire 
in  the  place  once  occupied  by  his  wife. 

During  all  these  domestic  vicissitudes  he  had  occupied 
the  parlor,  a  stiff,  formal,  frigid  apartment,  which  had 
been  rarely  used  in  his  married  life.  He  had  no  inclina- 
tion for  the  society  of  his  help  ;  in  fact,  there  had  been 
none  with  whom  he  could  associate.  The  better  class 
of  those  who  went  out  to  service  could  find  places  much 
more   to   their   taste   than   the  lonely  farmhouse.     The 


LEFT  ALONE.  7 

Icitchen  had  been  the  one  cozy,  cheerful  room  of  the 
house,  and,  driven  from  it,  the  farmer  was  an  exile  in  his 
own  home.  In  the  parlor  he  could  at  least  brood  over  the 
happy  past,  and  that  was  about  all  the  solace  he  had  left. 

Bridget  came  and  took  possession  of  her  domain  with 
^  sa7igfroid  \v\{\z\s.  appalled  Holcroft  from  the  first.  To 
his  directions  and  suggestions,  she  curtly  informed  him 
that  she  knew  her  business  and  "  didn't  want  no  mon 
around,  orderin'  and  interferin'." 

In  fact,  she  did  appear,  as  she  had  said,  capable  of  any 
amount  of  work,  and  usually  was  in  a  mood  to  perform 
it :  but  soon  her  male  relatives  began  to  drop  in  to  smoke 
a  pipe  with  her  in  the  evening.  A  little  later  on,  the 
supper-table  was  left  standing  for  those  who  were  always 
ready  to  "  take  a  bite."  The  farmer  had  never  heard  of 
the  camel  who  first  got  his  head  into  the  tent,  but  it 
gradually  dawned  upon  him  that  he  was  half  supporting 
the  whole  Irish  tribe  down  at  the  shanty.  Every  even- 
ing, while  he  shivered  in  his  best  room,  he  was  com- 
pelled to  hear  the  coarse  jests  and  laughter  in  the 
adjacent  apartment.  One  night  his  bitter  thoughts  found 
expression  :  "  I  might  as  well  open  a  free  house  for  the 
keeping  of  man  and  beast." 

He  had  endured  this  state  of  affairs  for  some  time 
simply  because  the  woman  did  the  essential  work  in  her 
offhand,  slapdash  style,  and  left  him  unmolested  to  his 
brooding  as  long  as  he  did  not  interfere  with  her  ideas  of 
domestic  economy.  But  his  impatience  and  the  sense  of 
being  wronged  were  producing  a  feeling  akin  to  despera- 
tion. Every  week  there  was  less  and  less  to  sell  from 
the  dairy  ;  chickens  and  eggs  disappeared,  and  the  appe- 
tites of  those  who  dropped  in  to  "  kape  Bridgy  from  bein' 
a  bit  lonely  "  grew  more  voracious. 


S  HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

Thus  matters  had  drifted  on  until  this  March  day  when 
he  had  taken  two  calves  to  market.  He  had  said  to  the 
kitchen  potentate  that  he  would  take  supper  with  a  friend 
in  town  and  therefore  would  not  be  back  before  nine  in 
the  evening.  This  friend  was  the  ofificial  keeper  of  the 
poorhouse  and  had  been  a  crony  of  Holcroft's  in  early 
life.  He  had  taken  to  politics  instead  of  farming,  and 
now  had  attained  to  what  he  and  his  acquaintances  spoke 
of  as  a  "  snug  berth."  Holcroft  had  maintained  with 
this  man  a  friendship  based  partly  on  business  relations, 
and  the  well-to-do  purveyer  for  paupers  always  gave  his 
old  playmate  an  honest  welcome  to  his  private  supper 
table,  which  differed  somewhat  from  that  spread  for  the 
town's  pensioners. 

On  this  occasion  the  gathering  storm  had  decided  Hol- 
croft to  return  without  availing  himself  of  his  friend's 
hospitality,  and  he  is  at  last  entering  the  lane  leading 
from  the  highway  to  his  doorway.  Even  as  he  approaches 
his  dwelling  he  hears  the  sound  of  revelry  and  readily 
guesses  what  is  taking  place. 

Quiet,  patient  men,  when  goaded  beyond  a  certain 
point,  are  capable  of  terrible  ebullitions  of  anger,  and 
Holcroft  was  no  exception.  It  seemed  to  him  that  night 
that  the  God  he  had  worshiped  all  his  life  was  in  league 
with  man  against  him.  The  blood  rushed  to  his  face, 
his  chilled  form  became  rigid  with  a  sudden,  passionate 
protest  against  his  misfortunes  and  wrongs.  Springing 
from  the  wagon,  he  left  his  team  standing  at  the  barn 
door  and  rushed  to  the  kitchen  window.  There  before 
him  sat  the  whole  tribe  from  the  shanty,  feasting  at  his 
expense.  The  table  was  loaded  with  coarse  profusion^ 
Roast  fowls  alternated  with  fried  ham  and  eggs,  a  great 
pitcher   of   milk  was  flanked  by  one  of  foaming  cider. 


LEFT  ALONE.  9 

while  the  post  of  honor  was  occupied  by  the  one  con- 
tribution of  his  self-invited  guests — a   villanous-looking 

jug- 

They  had  just  sat  down  to  the  repast  when  the  weazen- 
faced  patriarch  of  the  tribe  remarked,  by  way  of  grace,  it 
tnay  be  supposed,  "  Be  jabers,  but  isn't  ould  Holcroft 
givin'  us  a  foine  spread  the  noight !  Here's  bad  luck  to 
the  glowerin'  ould  skinflint ! "  and  he  poured  out  a  bumper 
from  the  jug. 

The  farmer  waited  to  see  and  hear  no  more.  Hasten- 
ing to  a  parlor  window,  he  raised  it  quietly  and  clambered 
in;  then  taking  his  rusty  shotgun,  which  he  kept  loaded 
for  the  benefit  of  the  vermin  that  prowled  about  his  hen- 
roost, he  burst  in  upon  the  startled  group. 

"  Be  ofT  !  "  he  shouted.  "  If  you  value  your  lives,  get 
out  of  that  door,  and  never  show  your  faces  on  my  place 
again.  I'll  not  be  eaten  out  of  house  and  home  by  a  lot 
of  jackals ! " 

His  weapon,  his  dark,  gleaming  eyes,  and  desperate 
aspect  taught  the  men  that  he  was  not  to  be  trifled  with 
a  moment,  and  they  slunk  away. 

Bridget  began  to  whine.  "  Yez  wouldn't  turn  a  woman 
out  in  the  noight  and  storm." 

"  You  are  not  a  woman  !  "  thundered  Holcroft,  "  you 
are  a  jackal,  too  !  Get  your  traps  and  begone  !  I  warn 
the  whole  lot  of  you  to  beware  !  I  give  you  this  chance 
to  get  off  the  premises,  and  then  I  shall  watch  for  you 
all,  old  and  young  !  " 

There  was  something  terrible  and  flame-like  in  his 
anger,  dismaying  the  cormorants,  and  they  hastened 
away  with  such  alacrity  that  Bridget  went  down  the  lane 
screaming,  "  Sthop,  I  tell  yees,  and  be  afther  waitin'  for 


lo        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

Holcroft  hurled  the  jug  after  them  with  words  thai 
sounded  like  an  imprecation,  He  next  turned  to  the 
viands  on  the  table  with  an  expression  of  loathing,  gath- 
ered them  up,  and  carried  them  to  the  hog-pen.  He 
seemed  possessed  by  a  feverish  impatience  to  banish 
every  vestige  of  those  whom  he  had  driven  forth,  and  to 
restore  the  apartment  as  nearly  as  possible  to  the  aspect 
it  had  worn  in  former  happy  years.  At  last,  he  sat  down 
where  his  wife  had  been  accustomed  to  sit,  unbuttoned 
his  waistcoat  and  flannel  shirt,  and  from  against  his 
naked  breast  took  an  old,  worn  daguerreotype.  He 
looked  a  moment  at  the  plain,  good  face  reflected  there, 
then,  bowing  his  head  upon  it,  strong,  convulsive  sobs 
shook  his  frame,  though  not  a  tear  moistened  his  eyes. 

How  long  the  paroxysm  would  have  lasted  it  were 
hard  to  say,  had  not  the  impatient  whinnying  of  his 
horses,  still  exposed  to  the  storm,  caught  his  attention. 
The  lifelong  habit  of  caring  for  the  dumb  animals  in  his 
charge  asserted  itself.  He  went  out  mechanically, 
unharnessed  and  stabled  them  as  carefully  as  ever  before 
in  his  life,  then  returned  and  wearily  prepared  himself  a 
pot  of  coffee,  which,  with  a  crust  of  bread,  was  all  the 
supper  he  appeared  to  crave. 


CHAPTER  II. 

A   VERY   INTERESTED   FRIEND. 

For  the  next  few  days,  Holcroft  lived  alone.  The 
weather  remained  inclement  and  there  was  no  occasion 
for  him  to  go  farther  away  than  the  barn  and  outbuild- 
ings. He  felt  that  a  crisis  in  his  life  was  approaching, 
that  he  would  probably  be  compelled  to  sell  his  property 
for  what  it  would  bring,  and  begin  life  again  under  dif- 
ferent auspices. 

"  I  must  either  sell  or  marry,"  he  groaned,  "  and  one's 
about  as  hard  and  bad  as  the  other.  Who'll  buy  the 
place  and  stock  at  half  what  they're  worth,  and  where 
could  I  find  a  woman  that  would  look  at  an  old  fellow 
hke  me,  even  if  I  could  bring  myself  to  look  at  her  ?  " 

The  poor  man  did  indeed  feel  that  he  was  shut  up  to 
dreadful  alternatives.  With  his  ignorance  of  the  world, 
and  dislike  for  contact  with  strangers,  selling  out  and 
going  away  was  virtually  starting  out  on  an  unknown  sea 
without  rudder  or  compass.  It  was  worse  than  that — it 
was  the  tearing  up  of  a  life  that  had  rooted  itself  in  the 
soil  whereon  he  had  been  content  from  childhood  to 
middle  age.  He  would  suffer  more  in  going,  and  in  the 
memory  of  what  he  had  parted  with,  than  in  any  of  the 
vicissitudes  which  might  overtake  him.  He  had  not 
hiuch  range  of  imagination  or  feeling,  but  williin  his 
limitations  his  emotions  were  strong  and  his  convictions 
unwavering.     Still,  he  thought  it  might   be  possible  to 


12        HE  FELL  nv  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

live  in  some  vague,  unknown  place,  doing  some  kind  of 
work  for  people  with  whom  he  need  not  have  ver}-  much 
to  do.  "I've  always  been  my  own  master,  and  done 
things  in  my  own  way,"  he  muttered,  "  but  I  suppose  I 
could  farm  it  to  suit  some  old,  quiet  people,  if  I  could 
only  find  'em.  One  thing  is  certain,  anyhow — I  couldn't 
stay  here  in  Oakville,  and  see  another  man  living  in 
these  rooms,  and  plowing  my  fields,  and  driving  his 
cows  to  my  old  pasture  lots.  That  would  finish  me  like 
a  galloping  consumption," 

Every  day  he  shrunk  with  a  strange  dread  from  the 
wrench  of  parting  with  the  familiar  place  and  with  all 
that  he  associated  with  his  wife.  This  was  really  the 
ordeal  which  shook  his  soul,  and  not  the  fear  that  he 
would  be  unable  to  earn  his  bread  elsewhere.  The 
unstable  multitude,  who  are  forever  fancying  that  they 
would  be  better  off  somewhere  else  or  at  something  else, 
can  have  no  comprehension  of  this  deep-rooted  love  of 
locality  and  the  binding  power  of  long  association.  They 
regard  such  men  as  Holcroft  as  little  better  than  plod- 
ding oxen.  The  highest  tribute  which  some  people  can 
pay  to  a  man,  however,  is  to  show  that  they  do  not  and 
cannot  understand  him.  But  the  farmer  was  quite 
indifferent  whether  he  was  understood  or  not.  He  gave 
no  thought  to  what  people  said  or  might  say.  What 
were  people  to  him  ?  He  only  had  a  hunted,  pathetic 
sense  of  being  hedged  in  and  driven  to  bay.  Even  to 
his  oeighbors,  there  was  more  of  the  humorous  than  the 
tragic  in  his  plight.  It  was  supposed  that  he  had  a 
goodly  sum  in  the  bank,  and  gossips  said  that  he  and 
his  wife  thought  more  of  increasing  this  hoard  than  of 
each  other,  and  that  old  Holcroft's  mourning  was  chiefly 
for  a  business  partner.     His  domestic  tribulations  evoked 


A    VERY  INTERESTED   FRIEND,  13 

mirth  rather  than  sympathy ;  and  as  the  news  spread 
from  farmhouse  to  cottage  of  his  summary  bundhng  of 
Bridget  and  her  satelHtcs  out  of  doors,  there  were  both 
hilarity  and  satisfaction. 

While  there  was  little  commiseration  for  the  farmer, 
there  was  decided  disapprobation  of  the  dishonest  Irish 
tribe,  and  all  were  glad  that  the  gang  had  received  a  les- 
son which  might  restrain  them  from  preying  upon  others. 

Holcroft  was  partly  to  blame  for  his  present  isolation. 
Remote  rural  populations  are  given  to  strong  prejudices, 
especially  against  those  who  are  thought  to  be  well-off 
from  an  oversaving  spirit,  and  who,  worse  still,  are 
unsocial.  Almost  anything  will  be  forgiven  sooner  than 
"  thinking  one's  self  better  than  other  folks  ";  and  that 
is  the  usual  interpretation  of  shy,  reticent  people.  But 
there  had  been  a  decided  tinge  of  selfishness  in  the  Hol- 
crofts'  habit  of  seclusion  ;  for  it  became  a  habit  rather 
than  a  principle.  While  they  cherished  no  active  dislike 
to  their  neighbors,  or  sense  of  superiority,  these  were  not 
wholly  astray  in  believing  that  they  had  litde  place  in  the 
thoughts  or  interests  of  the  occupants  of  the  hill  farm. 
Indifference  begat  indifference,  and  now  the  lonely,  help- 
less man  had  neither  the  power  nor  the  disposition  to 
bridge  the  chasm  which  separated  him  from  those  who 
might  have  given  him  kindly  and  intelligent  aid.  He  was 
making  a  pathetic  effort  to  keep  his  home  and  to  prevent 
his  heart  from  being  torn  bleeding  away  from  all  it  loved. 
His  neighbors  thought  that  he  was  merely  exerting  him- 
self to  keep  the  dollars  which  it  had  been  the  supreme 
motive  of  his  life  to  accumulate. 

Giving  no  thought  to  the  opinions  of  others,  Holcroft 
only  knew  that  he  was  in  sore  straits— that  all  which 
made  his  existence  a  blessing  was  at  stake. 


14        HE  FELL  LN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

At  times,  during  these  lonely  and  stormy  March  days, 
he  would  dismiss  his  anxious  speculations  in  regard  to 
his  future  course.  He  was  so  morbid,  especially  at  night, 
that  he  felt  that  his  wife  could  revisit  the  quiet  house. 
He  cherished  the  hope  that  she  could  see  him  and  hear 
what  he  said,  and  he  spoke  in  her  viewless  presence  with 
a  freedom  and  fullness  that  was  unlike  his  old  reticence 
and  habit  of  repression.  He  wondered  that  he  had  not 
said  more  endearing  words  and  given  her  stronger  assur- 
ance of  how  much  she  was  to  him.  Late  at  night,  he 
would  start  out  of  a  long  reverie,  take  a  candle,  and, 
going  through  the  house,  would  touch  what  she  had 
touched,  and  look  long  and  fixedly  at  things  associated 
with  her.  Her  gowns  still  hung  in  the  closet,  just  as 
she  had  left  them  ;  he  would  take  them  out  and  recall 
the  well-remembered  scenes  and  occasions  when  they 
were  worn.  At  such  times,  she  almost  seemed  beside 
him,  and  he  had  a  consciousness  of  companionship  which 
soothed  his  perturbed  spirit.  He  felt  that  she  appreci- 
ated such  loving  remembrance,  although  unable  to 
express  her  approval.  He  did  not  know  it,  but  his  nature 
was  being  softened,  deepened,  and  enriched  by  these  deep 
and  unwonted  experiences  ;  the  hard  materiality  of  his 
life  was  passing  away,  rendering  him  capable  of  some- 
thing better  than  he  had  ever  known. 

In  the  morning  all  the  old,  prosaic  problems  of  his  life 
would  return,  with  their  hard,  practical  insistence,  and  he 
knew  that  he  must  decide  upon  something  very  soon. 
His  lonely  vigils  and  days  of  quiet  had  brought  h  m  to 
the  conclusion  that  he  could  not  hunt  up  a  wife  as  a 
natter  of  business.  He  would  rather  face  the  "  ever 
angry  bears  "  than  breathe  the  subject  of  matrimony  to 
any  woman  that  he  could  ever  imagine  himself  marrying. 


A    VERY  INTERESTED  FRIEND.  15 

He  was  therefore  steadily  drifting  toward  the  necessity  of 
selling  everything  and  going  away.  This  event,  how- 
ever, was  like  a  coral  reef  to  a  sailor,  with  no  land  in  view 
beyond  it.  The  only  thing  which  seemed  certain  was 
the  general  breaking  up  of  all  that  had  hitherto  made  his 
life. 

The  offer  of  help  came  from  an  unexpected  source. 
One  morning  Holcroft  received  a  call  from  a  neighbor 
who  had  never  before  shown  any  interest  in  his  affairs. 
On  this  occasion,  however,  Mr.  Weeks  began  to  display 
so  much  solicitude  that  the  farmer  was  not  only  surprised, 
but  also  a  little  distrustful.  Nothing  in  his  previous 
knowledge  of  the  man  had  prepared  the  way  for  such 
very  kindly  intervention. 

After  some  general  references  to  the  past,  Mr.  Weeks 
continued,  "  I've  been  saying  to  our  folks  that  it  was  too 
bad  to  let  you  worry  on  alone  without  more  neighborly 
help.  You  ought  either  to  get  married  or  have  some 
thoroughly  respectable  and  well-known  middle-aged 
woman  keep  house  for  you.  That  would  stop  all  talk, 
and  there's  been  a  heap  of  it,  I  can  tell  you.  Of  course, 
I  and  my  folks  don't  believe  anything's  been  wrong." 

"  Believing  that  something  was  wrong  is  about  all  the 
attention  my  neighbors  have  given  me,  as  far  as  I  can 
see,"  Holcroft  remarked  bitterly. 

"  Well,  you  see,  Holcroft,  you've  kept  yourself  so  inside 
your  shell  that  people  don't  know  what  to  believe.  Now, 
the  thing  to  do  is  to  change  all  that.  I  know  how  hard 
it  is  for  a  man,  placed  as  you  be,  to  get  decent  help.  My 
wife  was  a-wondering  about  it  the  other  day,  and  I  shut 
her  up  mighty  sudden  by  saying,  '  You're  a  good  mana- 
ger, and  know  all  the  country  side,  yet  how  often  you're 
a-complaining  that  you  can't  get  a  girl  that's  worth  iier 


r6        HE  FELL  IN"  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

salt  to  help  in  haying  and  other  busy  times  when  we  hav^e 
to  board  a  lot  of  men.'  Well,  I  won't  beat  around  the 
bush  any  more.  I've  come  to  act  the  part  of  a  good 
neighbor.  There's  no  use  of  you're  trying  to  get  along 
with  such  haphazard  help  as  you  can  pick  up  here  and 
in  town.  You  want  a  respectabl-  woman  for  house- 
keeper, and  then  have  a  cheap,  common  sort  of  a  girl  to 
work  under  her.  Now,  I  know  of  just  such  a  woman, 
and  it's  not  unlikely  she'd  be  persuaded  to  take  entire 
charge  of  your  house  and  dairy.     My  wife's  cousin,  Mrs. 

Mumpson "     At  the  mention  of  this  name  Holcroft 

gave  a  slight  start,  feeling  something  like  a  cold  chill  run 
down  his  back. 

Mr.  Weeks  was  a  little  disconcerted  but  resumed,  "  I 
believe  she  called  on  your  wife  once  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  the  farmer  replied  laconically.  "  I  was  away 
and  did  not  see  her." 

"  Well,  now,"  pursued  Mr.  Weeks,  "  she's  a  good  soul. 
She  has  her  little  peculiarities ;  so  have  you  and  me,  a  lot 
of  'em  ;  but  she's  thoroughly  respectable,  and  there  isn't 
a  man  or  woman  in  the  town  that  would  think  of  saying 
a  word  against  her.  She  has  only  one  child,  a  nice,  quiet 
little  girl  who'd  be  company  for  her  mother  and  make 
everything  look  right,  you  know." 

"  I  don't  see  what  there's  been  to  look  wrong,"  growled 
the  farmer, 

"  Nothing  to  me  and  my  folks,  of  course,  or  I  wouldn't 
suggest  the  idea  of  a  relation  of  my  wife  coming  to  live 
with  you.  But  you  see  people  will  talk  unless  you  stop 
their  mouths  so  they'll  feel  like  fools  in  doing  it.  I  know 
yours  has  been  a  mighty  awkward  case,  and  here's  a 
plain  way  out  of  it.  You  can  set  yourself  right  and  have 
everything  looked  after  as  it  ought  to  be.  in  \  venty-four 


A    VERY  INTERESTED   FRIEND.  ij 

hours.  We've  talked  to  Cynthy — that's  Mrs.  Mumpson — 
and  she  takes  a  sight  of  interest.  She'd  do  well  by  you 
and  straighten  things  out,  and  you  might  do  a  plaguey 
sight  worse  than  give  her  the  right  to  take  care  of  your 
indoor  affairs  for  life." 

"  I  don't  expect  to  marry  again,"  said  Holcroft  curtly. 

"Oh,  well!  many  a  man  and  woman  has  said  that  and 
believed  it,  too,  at  the  time.  I'm  not  saying  that  my 
wife's  cousin  is  inclined  that  way  herself.  Like  enough, 
she  isn't  at  all,  but  then,  the  right  kind  of  persuading 
does  change  women's  minds  sometimes,  eh  ?  Mrs, 
Mumpson  is  kinder  alone  in  the  world,  like  yourself,  and 
if  she  was  suj-e  of  a  good  home  and  a  kind  husband 
there's  no  telling  what  good  luck  might  happen  to  you. 
But  there'll  be  plenty  of  time  for  considering  all  that  on 
both  sides.     You  can't  live  like  a  hermit." 

"  I  was  thinking  of  selling  out  and  leaving  these  parts," 
Holcroft  interrupted. 

"  Now  look  here,  neighbor,  you  know  as  well  as  I  do 
that  in  these  times  you  couldn't  give  away  the  place. 
What's  the  use  of  such  foolishness  ?  The  thing  to  do  is 
to  keep  the  farm  and  get  a  good  living  out  of  it.  You've 
got  down  in  the  dumps  and  can't  see  what's  sensible  and 
to  your  own  advantage." 

Holcroft  was  thinking  deeply,  and  he  turned  his  eyes 
wistfully  to  the  upland  slopes  of  his  farm,  Mr.  Weeks 
had  talked  plausibly,  and  if  all  had  been  as  he  represented, 
the  plan  would  not  have  been  a  bad  one.  But  the 
widower  did  not  yearn  for  the  widow.  He  did  not  know 
much  about  her,  but  had  very  unfavorable  impressions. 
Mrs.  Holcroft  had  not  been  given  to  speaking  ill  of  any- 
one, but  she  had  always  shaken  her  head  with  a  peculiar 
significance  when  Mrs.  Mumpson's  name  was  mentioned. 


1 8        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE, 

The  widow  had  felt  it  her  duty  to  call  and  counsel  against 
the  sin  of  seclusion  and  being  too  much  absorbed  in  the 
affairs  of  this  world. 

"  You  should  take  an  interest  in  everyone,"  this  self- 
appointed  evangelist  had  declared,  and  in  one  sense  she 
lived  up  to  her  creed.  She  permitted  no  scrap  of  infor- 
mation about  people  to  escape  her,  and  was  not  only 
versed  in  all  the  gossip  of  Oakville,  but  also  of  several 
other  localities  in  which  she  visited. 

But  Holcroft  had  little  else  to  deter  him  from  employing 
her  services  beyond  an  unfavorable  impression.  She  could 
not  be  so  bad  as  Bridget  IMalony,  and  he  was  almost  will- 
ing to  employ  her  again  for  the  privilege  of  remaining 
on  his  paternal  acres.  As  to  marrying  the  widow — a 
slight  shudder  passed  through  his  frame  at  the  thought. 

Slowly  he  began,  as  if  almost  thinking  aloud,  "  I  sup- 
pose you  are  right,  Lemuel  Weeks,  in  what  you  say  about 
selling  the  place.  The  Lord  knows  I  don't  want  to  leave 
it.  I  was  born  and  brought  up  here,  and  that  counts 
with  some  people.  If  your  wife's  cousin  is  willing  to 
come  and  help  me  make  a  living,  for  such  wages  as  I  can 
pay,  the  arrangement  might  be  made.  But  I  want  to 
look  on  it  as  a  business  arrangement.  I  have  quiet  ways 
of  my  own,  and  things  belonging  to  the  past  to  think 
about,  and  I've  got  a  right  to  think  about  'em.  I  aint 
one  of  the  marrying  kind,  and  I  don't  want  people  to  be 
a-considering  such  notions  when  I  don't.  I'd  be  kind 
and  all  that  to  her  and  her  little  girl,  but  I  should  want 
to  be  left  to  myself  as  far  as  I  could  be." 

"  Oh,  certainly,"  said  Mr.  Weeks,  mentally  chuckling 
over  the  slight  prospect  of  such  immunity,  "  but  you 
must  remember  that  Mrs.  Mumpson  isn't  like  common 
help " 


A    VERY  INTERESTED  FRIEND.  19 

"That's  where  the  trouble  will  come  in,"  ejaculated 
the  perplexed  farmer,  "  but  there's  been  trouble  enough 
with  the  other  sort." 

"  I  should  say  so,"  Mr.  Weeks  remarked  emphatically. 
*'  It  would  be  a  pity  if  you  couldn't  get  along  with  such 
a  respectable,  conscientious  woman  as  Mrs.  Mumpson, 
who  comes  from  one  of  the  best  families  in  the  country." 

Holcroft  removed  his  hat  and  passed  his  hand  over  his 
brow  wearily  as  he  said,  "  Oh,  I  could  get  along  with 
anyone  who  would  do  the  work  in  a  way  that  would 
give  me  a  chance  to  make  a  little,  and  then  leave  me  to 
myself," 

"  Well,  well,"  said  Mr,  Weeks,  laughing,  "  you  needn't 
think  that  because  I've  hinted  at  a  good  match  for  you 
I'm  making  one  for  my  wife's  cousin.  You  may  see  the 
day  when  you'll  be  more  hot  for  it  than  she  is.  All  I'm 
trying  to  do  is  to  help  you  keep  your  place,  and  live  like 
a  man  ought  and  stop  people's  mouths." 

"  If  I  could  only  fill  my  own  and  live  in  peace,  it's  all 
I  ask.  When  I  get  to  plowing  and  planting  again  I'll 
begin  to  take  some  comfort." 

These  words  were  quoted  against  Holcroft,  far  and 
near,  "  Filling  his  own  mouth  and  making  a  little  money 
are  all  he  cares  for,"  was  the  general  verdict.  And  thus 
people  are  misunderstood.  The  farmer  had  never 
turned  anyone  hungry  from  his  door,  and  he  would  have 
gone  to  the  poorhouse  rather  than  have  acted  the  part  of 
the  man  who  misrepresented  him.  He  had  only  meant 
to  express  the  hope  that  he  might  be  able  to  fill  his 
mouth — e^rn  his  bread,  and  get  it  from  his  native  soil. 
"  Plowing  and  planting  " — working  where  he  had  toiled 
since  a  child — would  be  a  solace  in  itself,  and  not  a 
grudged  means  to  a  sordid  end. 


20        HE  FELL  LN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

Mr.  Weeks  was  a  thrifty  man  also,  and  in  nothing  was 
he  more  economical  than  in  charitable  views  of  his 
neighbors'  motives  and  conduct.  He  drove  homeward 
with  the  complacent  feeling  that  he  had  done  a  shrewd, 
good  thing  for  himself  and  "  his  folks  "  at  least.  His  wife's 
cousin  was  not  exactly  embraced  in  the  latter  category, 
although  he  had  been  so  active  in  her  behalf.  The  fact 
was,  he  would  be  at  much  greater  pains  could  he  attach 
her  to  Holcroft  or  anyone  else  and  so  prevent  further 
periodical  visits.  He  regarded  her  and  her  child  as 
barnacles  with  such  appalling  adhesive  powers  that  even 
his  ingenuity  at  "crowding  out"  had  been  baffled.  In 
justice  to  him,  it  must  be  admitted  that  Tvlrs.  Mumpson 
was  a  type  of  the  poor  relation  that  would  tax  the  long- 
suffering  of  charity  itself.  Her  husband  had  left  her 
scarcely  his  blessing,  and  if  he  had  fled  to  ills  he  knew 
not  of,  he  believed  that  he  was  escaping  from  some  of 
which  he  had  a  painfully  distinct  consciousness.  His 
widow  was  one  of  the  people  who  regard  the  "  world  as 
their  oyster,"  and  her  scheme  of  life  was  to  get  as  much 
as  possible  for  nothing.  Arrayed  in  mourning  weeds, 
she  had  begun  a  system  of  periodical  descents  upon  his 
relatives  and  her  own.  She  might  have  made  such 
visitations  endurable  and  even  welcome,  but  she  was  not 
shrewd  enough  to  be  sensible.  She  appeared  to  have 
developed  only  the  capacity  to  talk,  to  pry,  and  to  worry 
people.  She  was  unable  to  rest  or  to  permit  others  to 
rest,  yet  her  aversion  to  any  useful  form  of  activity  was 
her  chief  characteristic.  Wherever  she  went  she  took 
the  ground  that  she  was  "  company,"  and,  with  a  shawl 
hanging  over  her  sharp,  angular  shoulders,  she  would 
seize  upon  the  most  comfortable  rocking  chair  in  the 
house,  and  mouse   for  bits  of  news  about  everyone  of 


A    VERY  INTERESTED  FRIEND.  21 

whom  she  had  ever  heard.  She  was  quite  as  ready  to 
tell  all  she  knew  also,  and  for  the  sake  of  her  budget  of 
gossip  and  small  scandal,  her  female  relatives  tolerated 
her  after  a  fashion  for  a  time  ;  but  she  had  been  around 
so  often,  and  her  scheme  of  obtaining  subsistence  for 
herself  and  child  had  become  so  offensively  apparent, 
that  she  had  about  exhausted  the  patience  of  all  the  kith 
and  kin  on  whom  she  had  the  remotest  claim.  Her 
presence  was  all  the  more  unwelcome  by  reason  of  the 
faculty  for  irritating  the  men  of  the  various  households 
which  she  invaded.  Even  the  most  phlegmatic  or  the 
best-natured  lost  their  self-control,  and  as  their  wives 
declared,  "  felt  like  flying  all  to  pieces  "  at  her  incessant 
rocking,  gossiping,  questioning,  and,  what  was  worse 
still,  lecturing.  Not  the  least  endurable  thing  about 
Mrs.  Mumpson  was  her  peculiar  phase  of  piety.  She 
saw  the  delinquencies  and  duties  of  others  with  such 
painful  distinctness  that  she  felt  compelled  to  speak  of 
them  ;  and  her  zeal  was  sure  to  be  instant  out  of  season. 

When  Mr.  Weeks  had  started  on  his  ominous  mission 
to  Holcroft  his  wife  remarked  to  her  daughter  confi- 
dentially, "  I  declare,  sis,  if  we  don't  get  rid  of  Cynthy 
soon,  I  believe  Lemuel  will  fly  off  the  handle." 

To  avoid  any  such  dire  catastrophe,  it  was  hoped  and 
almost  prayed  in  the  Weeks  household  that  the  lonely 
occupant  of  the  hill  farm  would  take  the  widow  for  good 
and  all. 


CHAPTER   III. 

MRS.   MUMPSON   NEGOTIATES   AND   YIELDS. 

Mr.  Weeks,  on  his  return  home,  dropped  all  diplo- 
macy in  dealing  with  the  question  at  issue.  "  Cynthy," 
he  said  in  his  own  vernacular,  "  the  end  has  come,  so 
far  as  me  and  my  folks  are  concerned — I  never  expect 
to  visit  you,  and  while  I'm  master  of  the  house,  no  more 
visits  will  be  received.  But  I  haint  taken  any  such  stand 
onconsiderately,"  he  concluded.  "  I've  given  .up  the 
whole  forenoon  to  secure  you  a  better  chance  of  living 
than  visiting  around.  If  you  go  to  Holcroft's  you'll 
have  to  do  some  work,  and  so  will  your  girl.  But  he'll 
hire  someone  to  help  you,  and  so  you  won't  have  to 
hurt  yourself.  Your  trump  card  will  be  to  hook  him  and 
marry  him  before  he  finds  you  out.  To  do  this,  you'll 
have  to  see  to  the  house  and  dairy,  and  bestir  yourself  for 
a  time  at  least.  He's  pretty  desperate  off  for  lack  of 
woman-folks  to  look  after  indoor  matters,  but  he'll  sell 
out  and  clear  out  before  he'll  keep  a  woman,  much  less 
marry  her,  if  she  does  nothing  but  talk.  Now  remember, 
you've  got  a  chance  which  you  won't  get  again,  for  Hol- 
croft  not  only  owns  his  farm,  but  has  a  snug  sum  in  the 
bank.  So  you  had  better  get  your  things  together,  and 
go  right  over  while  he's  in  the  mood." 

When  Mrs.  Mumpson  reached  the  blank  wall  of  the 
inevitable,  she  yielded,  and  not  before.      She  saw  that 


MRS.  MUMP  SON  NEGOTIATES.  23 

th«  ^eeks  mine  was  worked  out  completely,  and  she 
knew  that  this  exhaustion  was  about  equally  true  of  all 
similar  mines,  which  had  been  bored  until  they  would 
yield  no  further  returns. 

But  Mr.  Weeks  soon  found  that  he  could  not  carry 
out  his  summary  measures.  The  widow  was  bent  on 
negotiations  and  binding  agreements.  In  a  stiff, 
cramped  hand,  she  wrote  to  Holcroft  in  regard  to  the 
amount  of  "  salary  "  he  would  be  willing  to  pay,  intimat- 
ing that  one  burdened  with  such  responsibilities  as  she 
was  expected  to  assume  "  ort  to  be  compansiated  pro- 
poshundly." 

Weeks  groaned  as  he  dispatched  his  son  on  horse- 
back with  this  first  epistle,  and  Holcroft  groaned  as  he 
read  it,  not  on  account  of  its  marvelous  spelling  and 
construction,  but  by  reason  of  the  vista  of  perplexities 
and  trouble  it  opened  to  his  boding  mind.  But  he 
named  on  half  a  sheet  of  paper  as  large  a  sum  as  he 
felt  it  possible  to  pay  and  leave  any  chance  for  himself, 
then  affixed  his  signature  and  sent  it  back  by  the 
messenger. 

The  widow  Mumpson  wished  to  talk  over  this  first 
point  between  the  high  contracting  powers  indefinitely, 
but  Mr.  Weeks  remarked  cynically,  "  It's  double  what 
I  thought  he'd  offer,  and  you're  lucky  to  have  it  in  black 
and  white.  Now  that  everything's  settled,  Timothy  will 
hitch  up  and  take  you  and  Jane  up  there  at  once." 

But  Mrs.  Mumpson  now  began  to  insist  upon  writing 
another  letterln  regard  to  her  domestic  status  and  that 
of  her  child.  They  could  not  think  of  being  looked  upon 
as  servants.  She  also  wished  to  be  assured  that  a  girl 
would  be  hired  to  help  her,  that  she  should  have  all  the 
church  privileges  to  which  she  had  been  accustomed  and 


24        HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

the  right  to  visit  and  entertain  her  friends,  which  meant 
every  farmer's  wife  and  all  the  maiden  sisters  in  Oak- 
vjlle.  "  And  then,"  she  continued,  "  there  are  always 
little  perquisites  which  a  housekeeper  has  a  right  to  look 

for "    Mr.  Weeks  irritably  put  a  period  to  this  phase 

of  diplomacy  by  saying,  "  Well,  well,  Cynthy,  the  stage 
will  be  along  in  a  couple  of  hours.  We'll  put  you  and 
your  things  aboard,  and  you  can  go  on  with  what  you 
call  your  negotiations  at  Cousin  Abiram's.  I  can  tell 
you  one  thing  though — if  you  write  any  such  letter  to 
Holcroft,  you'll  never  hear  from  him  again." 

Compelled  to  give  up  all  these  preliminaries,  but  in- 
wardly resolving  to  gain  each  point  by  a  nagging  persist- 
ence of  which  she  was  a  mistress,  she  finally  declared  that 
she  "  must  have  writings  about  one  thing  which  couldn't 
be  left  to  any  man's  changeful  mind.  He  must  agree 
to  give  me  the  monthly  salary  he  names  for  at  least  a 
year." 

Weeks  thought  a  moment,  and  then,  with  a  shrewd 
twinkle  in  his  eyes,  admitted,  "  It  would  be  a  good 
thing  to  have  Holcroft's  name  to  such  an  agreement. 
Yes,  you  might  try  that  on,  but  you're  taking  a  risk.  If 
you  were  not  so  penny-wise  and  pound-foolish  you'd  go 
at  once  and  manage  to  get  him  to  take  you  for  '  better 
or  worse.'  " 

"  You  misjudge  me.  Cousin  Lemuel,"  replied  the 
widow,  bridling  and  rocking  violently.  "  If  there's  any 
such  taking  to  be  done,  he  must  get  me  to  take  him." 

"  Well,  well,  write  your  letter  about  a  year's  engage- 
ment.    That  '11  settle  you  for  a  twelvemonth,  at  least." 

Mrs.  Mumpson  again  began  the  slow,  laborious  con- 
struction of  a  letter  in  which  she  dwelt  upon  the  uncer- 
tainties of  life,  her  "  duty  to  her  offspring,"  and  the  evils 


MRS.  MUMP  SON  NEGOTIATES.  25 

of  "  vicissitude."  "  A  stable  home  is  woman's  chief 
desire,"  she  concluded,  "  and  you  will  surely  agree  to 
pay  me  the  salary  you  have  said  for  a  year." 

When  Holcroft  read  this  second  epistle  he  so  far 
yielded  to  his  first  impulse  that  he  half  tore  the  sheet, 
then  paused  irresolutely.  After  a  few  moments  he 
went  to  the  door  and  looked  out  upon  his  acres.  "  It  '11 
soon  be  plowing  and  planting  time,"  he  thought.  "  I 
guess  I  can  stand  her — at  least  I  can  try  it  for  three 
months.  I'd  like  to  turn  a  few  more  furrows  on  the  old 
place,"  and  his  face  softened  and  grew  wistful  as  he 
looked  at  the  bare,  frost-bound  fields.  Suddenly  it 
darkened  and  grew  stern  as  he  muttered,  "But  I'll  put 
my  hand  to  no  more  paper  with  that  Weeks  tribe." 

He  strode  to  the  stable,  saying  to  Timothy  Weeks,  as 
he  passed,  "  I'll  answer  this  letter  in  person." 

Away  cantered  Timothy,  and  soon  caused  a  flutter  of 
expectancy  in  the  Weeks  household,  by  announcing  that 
"  Old  Holcroft  looked  black  as  a  thundercloud  and  was 
comin'  himself." 

"  I  tell  you  what  'tis,  Cynthy,  it's  the  turn  of  a  hair 
with  you  now,"  growled  Weeks.  "  Unless  you  agree  to 
whatever  Holcroft  says,  you  haven't  the  ghost  of  a 
chajice." 

The  widow  felt  that  a  crisis  had  indeed  come.  Cousin 
Abiram's  was  the  next  place  in  the  order  of  visitation, 
but  her  last  experience  there  left  her  in  painful  doubt  as 
to  a  future  reception.  Therefore  she  tied  on  a  new  cap, 
smoothed  her  apron,  and  rocked  with  unwonted  rapidity. 
"  It  '11  be  according  to  the  ordering  of  Providence " 

"  Oh,  pshaw  !  "  interrupted  Cousin  Lemuel,  "  it  '11  be 
according  to  whether  you've  got  any  sense  or  not." 

Mrs.  Weeks  had  been  in  a  pitiable  state  of  mind  all 


26        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

day.  She  saw  that  her  husband  had  reached  the  limit 
of  his  endurance — that  he  had  virtually  already  "  flown 
off  the  handle."  But  to  have  her  own  kin  actually 
bundled  out  of  the  house — what  would  people  say  ? 
Acceptance  of  Holcroft's  terms,  whatever  they  might  be, 
was  the  only  way  out  of  the  awkward  predicament,  and 
so  she  began  in  a  wheedling  tone,  "  Now,  Cousin  Cynthy, 
as  Lemuel  says,  you've  got  a  first-rate  chance.  Holcroft's 
had  an  awful  time  with  women,  and  he'll  be  glad  enough 
to  do  well  by  anyone  who  does  fairly  well  by  him. 
Everybody  says  he's  well  off,  and  once  you're  fairly 
there  and  get  things  in  your  own  hands,  there's  no  tell- 
ing what  may  happen.  He'll  get  a  girl  to  help  you,  and 
Jane's  big  enough  now  to  do  a  good  deal.  Why,  you'll 
be  the  same  as  keeping  house  like  the  rest  of  us." 

Further  discussion  was  cut  short  by  the  arrival  of  the 
victim.  He  stood  awkwardly  in  the  door  of  the  Weeks 
sitting  room  for  a  moment,  seemingly  at  a  loss  how  to 
state  his  case. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weeks  now  resolved  to  appear  neutral 
and  allow  the  farmer  to  make  his  terms.  Then,  like 
other  superior  powers  in  the  background,  they  proposed 
to  exert  a  pressure  on  their  relative  and  do  a  little 
coercing.  But  the  widow's  course  promised  at  first  to 
relieve  them  of  all  further  effort.  She  suddenly  seemed 
to  become  aware  of  Holcroft's  presence,  sprang  up,  and 
gave  him  her  hand  very  cordially. 

"I'm  glad  to  see  you,  sir,"  she  began.  "It's  very 
considerate  of  you  to  come  for  me.  I  can  get  ready  in 
short  order,  and  as  for  Jane,  she's  never  a  bit  of  trouble. 
Sit  down,  sir,  and  make  yourself  to  home  while  I  get  our 
things  together  and  put  on  my  bonnet ;  "  and  she  was 
about  to  hasten  from  the  room. 


MRS.  MUMP  SON  NEGOTIATES.  27 

She,  too,  had  been  compelled  to  see  that  Holcroft's 
farmhouse  was  the  only  certain  refuge  left,  and  while 
she  had  rocked  and  waited  the  thought  had  come  into 
her  scheming  mind,  "  I've  stipulated  to  stay  a  year,  and 
if  he  says  nothing  against  it,  it's  a  bargain  which  I  can 
manage  to  keep  him  to  in  spite  of  himself,  even  if  I  don't 
marry  him." 

But  the  straightforward  farmer  was  not  to  be  caught 
in  such  a  trap.  He  had  come  himself  to  say  certain 
words  and  he  would  say  them.  He  quietly,  therefore, 
stood  in  the  door  and  said,  "  Wait  a  moment,  Mrs. 
Mumpson.  It's  best  to  have  a  plain  understanding  in 
all  matters  of  business.  When  I've  done,  you  may  con- 
clude not  to  go  with  me,  for  I  want  to  say  to  you  what 
I  said  this  morning  to  your  cousin,  Lemuel  Weeks.  I'm 
glad  he  and  his  wife  are  now  present,  as  witnesses.  I'm 
a  plain  man,  and  all  I  want  is  to  make  a  livin'  off  the 
farm  I've  been  brought  up  on.  I'll  get  a  girl  to  help 
you  with  the  work.  Between  you,  I'll  expect  it  to  be 
done  in  a  way  that  the  dairy  will  yield  a  fair  profit. 
We'll  try  and  see  how  we  get  on  for  three  months  and 
not  a  year.  I'll  not  bind  myself  longer  than  three 
months.  Of  course,  if  you  manage  well,  I'll  be  glad  to 
have  this  plain  business  arrangement  go  on  as  long  as 
possible,  but  it's  all  a  matter  of  business.  If  I  can't 
make  my  farm  pay,  I'm  going  to  sell  or  rent  and  leave 
these  parts." 

"  Oh,  certainly,  certainly,  Mr.  Holcroft !  You  take  a 
very  senserble  view  of  affairs.  I  hope  you  will  find  that 
I  will  do  all  that  I  agree  to  and  a  great  deal  more.  I'm 
a  little  afraid  of  the  night  air  and  the  inclement  season, 
and  so  will  hasten  to  get  myself  and  my  child  ready,"  and 
she  passed  quickly  out. 


28        HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

Weeks  put  his  hand  to  his  mouth  to  conceal  a  grin  as 
he  thought,  "  She  hasn't  agreed  to  do  anything  that 
I  l<now  on.  Still,  she's  right  ;  she'll  do  a  sight  more 
than  he  expects,  but  it  won't  be  just  what  he  expects." 

Mrs.  Weeks  followed  her  relative  to  expedite  matters, 
and  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  gathering  of  Mrs. 
Mumpson's  belongings  was  no  heavy  task.  A  small  hair 
trunk,  that  had  come  down  from  the  remote  past,  held  her 
own  and  her  child's  wardrobe  and  represented  all  their 
worldly  possessions. 

Mr.  Weeks,  much  pleased  at  the  turn  of  affairs, 
became  very  affable,  but  confined  his  remarks  chiefly  to 
the  wea"ther,  w^hile  Holcroft,  who  had  an  uneasy  sense 
of  being  overreached  in  some  undetected  way,  was 
abstracted  and  laconic.  He  was  soon  on  the  road  home, 
however,  with  Mrs.  Mumpson  and  Jane.  Cousin  Lemuel's 
last  whispered  charge  was,  "  Now,  for  mercy's  sake,  do 
keep  your  tongue  still  and  your  hands  busy." 

Whatever  possibilities  there  may  be  for  the  Ethiopian 
or  the  leopard,  there  was  no  hope  that  Mrs.  Mumpson 
would  materially  change  any  of  her  characteristics.  The 
chief  reason  was  that  she.  had  no  desire  to  change. 
A  more  self-complacent  person  did  not  exist  in  Oakville. 
Good  traits  in  other  people  did  not  interest  her.  They 
were  insipid,  they  lacked  a  certain  pungency  which  a  dash 
of  evil  imparts  ;  and  in  the  course  of  her  minute  investi- 
gations she  had  discerned  or  surmised  so  much  that  was 
reprehensible  tiiat  she  had  come  to  regard  herself  as 
singularly  free  from  sins  of  omission  and  commission. 
"  What  have  I  ever  done  ?  "  she  would  ask  in  her  self- 
communings.  The  question  implied  so  much  truth  of  a 
certain  kind  that  all  her  relatives  were  in  gall  and  bitter- 
ness as  they  remembered  the  weary  months  during  which 


MRS.  MUMP  SON  NEGOTIATES.  29 

she  had  rocked  idly  at  their  firesides.  With  her,  talking 
was  as  much  of  a  necessity  as  breathing;  but  during  the 
ride  to  the  hillside  farm  she,  in  a  sense,  held  her  breath, 
for  a  keen  March  wind  was  blowing. 

She  was  so  quiet  that  Holcroft  grew  hopeful,  not 
realizing  that  the  checked  flow  of  words  must  have  freer 
course  later  on.  A  cloudy  twilight  was  deepening  fast 
when  they  reached  the  dwelling.  Holcroft's  market 
wagon  served  for  the  general  purposes  of  conveyance, 
and  he  drove  as  near  as  possible  to  the  kitchen  door. 
Descending  from  the  front  seat,  which  he  had  occupied 
alone,  he  turned  and  offered  hi3  hand  to  assist  the  widow 
to  alight,  but  she  nervously  poised  herself  on  the  zd^^  of 
the  vehicle  and  seemed  to  be  afraid  to  venture.  The 
wind  fluttered  her  scanty  draperies,  causing  her  to  appear 
like  a  bird  of  prey  about  to  swoop  down  upon  the  unpro- 
tected man.     "  I'm  afraid  to  jump  so  far "  she  began. 

"  There's  the  step,  Mrs.  Mumpson." 

"  But  I  can't  see  it.  Would  you  mind  lifting  me 
down }  " 

He  impatiently  took  her  by  the  arms,  which  seemed  in 
his  grasp  like  the  rounds  of  a  chair,  and  put  her  on  the 
ground. 

"  Oh  !  "  she  exclaimed,  in  gushing  tones,  "  there's  noth- 
ing to  equal  the  strong  arms  of  a  man." 

He  hastily  lifted  out  her  daughter,  and  said,  "  You  had 
better  hurry  in  to  the  fire.  I'll  be  back  in  a  few  minutes," 
and  he  led  his  horses  down  to  the  barn,  blanketed  and 
tied  them.  When  he  returned,  he  saw  two  dusky  figures 
standing  by  the  front  door  which  led  to  the  little  hall 
separating  the  kitchen  from  the  parlor. 

"  Bless  me  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  You  haven't  been  stand- 
ing here  all  this  time  ?  " 


30        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  It's  merely  due  to  a  little  oversight.  The  door  is 
locked,  you  see,  and " 

"But  the  kitchen  door  is  not  locked." 

"  Wsll,  it  didn't  seem  quite  natural  for  us  to  enter  the 
dwelling,  on  the  occasion  of  our  first  arrival,  by  the 
kitchen  entrance,  and " 

Holcroft,  with  a  grim  look,  strode  through  the  kitchen 
and  unlocked  the  door. 

"  Ah  !  "  exclaimed  the  widow.  "  I  feel  as  if  I  was 
coming  home.  Enter,  Jane,  my  dear.  I'm  sure  the 
place  will  soon  cease  to  be  strange  to  you,  for  the  home 
feeling  is  rapidly  acquired  when " 

"  Just  wait  a  minute,  please,"  said  Holcroft,  "  and  I'll 
light  the  lamp  and  a  candle."  This  he  did  with  the  deft- 
ness of  a  man  accustomed  to  help  himself,  then  led  the 
way  to  the  upper  room  which  was  to  be  her  sleeping 
apartment.  Placing  the  candle  on  the  bureau,  he  fore- 
stalled Mrs.  Mumpson  by  saying,  "  I'll  freshen  up  the  fire 
in  the  kitchen  and  lay  out  the  ham,  eggs,  coffee,  and 
other  materials  for  supper.  Then  I  must  go  out  and 
unharness  and  do  my  night  work.  Make  yourselves  to 
home.  You'll  soon  be  able  to  find  everj'thing,"  and  he 
hastened  away. 

It  would  not  be  their  fault  if  they  were  not  soon  able 
to  find  everything.  Mrs.  Mumpson's  first  act  was  to 
take  the  candle  and  survey  the  room  in  ever}'  nook  and 
corner.  She  sighed  when  she  found  the  closet  and 
bureau  drawers  empty.  Then  she  examined  the  quantity 
and  texture  of  the  bedding  of  the  '*  couch  on  which  she 
was  to  repose,"  as  she  would  express  herself.  Jane  fol- 
lowed her  around  on  tiptoe,  doing  just  what  her  mother 
did,  but  was  silent.  At  last  they  shivered  in  the  fireless 
aoartment,  threw  off  their  scanty  wraps,  and  went  down 


MRS.  MUMP  SON  NEGOTIATES.  3^ 

to  the  kitchen.  Mrs.  Mumpson  instinctively  looked 
around  for  a  rocking  chair,  and  as  none  was  visible  she 
hastened  to  the  parlor,  and,  holding  the  candle  aloft,  sur- 
veyed this  apartment.  Jane  followed  in  her  wake  as 
before,  but  at  last  ventured  to  suggest,  "  Mother,  Mr. 
Holcroft  'II  be  in  soon  and  want  his  supper," 

"  I  suppose  he'll  want  a  great  many  things,"  replied 
Mrs.  Mumpson  with  dignity,  "  but  he  can't  expect  a  lady 
of  my  connections  to  fly  around  like  a  common  servant. 
It  is  but  natural,  in  coming  to  a  new  abode,  that  I  should 
wish  to  know  something  of  that  abode.  There  should 
have  been  a  hired  girl  here  ready  to  receive  and  get 
supper  for  us.  Since  there  is  not  one  to  receive  us, 
bring  that  rocking  chair,  my  dear,  and  I  will  direct  you 
how  to  proceed." 

The  child  did  as  she  was  told,  and  her  mother  was 
soon  rocking  on  the  snuggest  side  of  the  kitchen  stove, 
interspersing  her  rather  bewildering  orders  with  various 
reflections  and  surmises. 

Sketching  the  child  Jane  is  a  sad  task,  and  pity  would 
lead  us  to  soften  every  touch  if  this  could  be  done  in 
truthfulness.  She  was  but  twelve  years  of  age,  yet  there 
was  scarcely  a  trace  of  childhood  left  in  her  colorless 
face.  Stealthy  and  catlike  in  all  her  movements,  she 
gave  the  impression  that  she  could  not  do  the  commonest 
thing  except  in  a  sly,  cowering  manner.  Her  small 
greenish-gray  eyes  appeared  to  be  growing  nearer 
together  with  the  lease  of  time,  and  their  indirect,  furtive 
glances  suggested  that  they  had  hardly,  if  ever,  seen 
looks  of  frank  affection  bent  upon  her.  She  had  early 
learned,  on  the  round  of  visits  with  her  mother,  that  so 
far  from  being  welcome  she  was  scarcely  tolerated,  and 
she  reminded  one  of  a  stray  cat  that  comes  to  a  dwelling 


32        HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

and  seeks  to  maintain  existence  there  in  a  lurking, 
deprecatory  manner.  Her  kindred  recognized  this  fehne 
trait,  for  they  were  accustomed  to  remark,  "  She's  always 
snoopin'  around." 

She  could  scarcely  do  otherwise,  poor  child  !  There 
had  seemed  no  place  for  her  at  any  of  the  firesides.  She 
haunted  halls  and  passage-ways,  sat  in  dusky  corners, 
and  kept  her  meager  little  form  out  of  sight  as  much  as 
possible.  She  was  the  last  one  helped  at  table  when  she 
was  permitted  to  come  at  all,  and  so  had  early  learned  to 
watch,  like  a  cat,  and  when  people's  backs  were  turned, 
to  snatch  something,  carry  it  off,  and  devour  it  in  secret. 
Detected  in  these  little  pilferings,  to  which  she  was 
almost  driven,  she  was  regarded  as  even  a  greater  nui- 
sance than  her  mother. 

The  latter  was  much  too  preoccupied  to  give  her 
child  attention.  Ensconced  in  a  rocking  chair  in  the 
best  room,  and  always  in  full  tide  of  talk  if  there  was  any- 
one present,  she  rarely  seemed  to  think  where  Jane  was 
or  what  she  was  doing.  The  rounds  of  visitation  gave 
the  child  no  chance  to  go  to  school,  so  her  developing 
mind  had  little  other  pabulum  than  what  her  mother  sup- 
plied so  freely.  She  was  acquiring  the  same  consuming 
curiosity,  with  the  redeeming  feature  that  she  did  not 
talk.  Listening  in  unsuspected  places,  she  heard  much 
that  was  said  about  her  mother  and  herself,  and  the 
pathetic  part  of  this  experience  was  that  she  had  never 
known  enough  of  kindness  to  be  wounded.  She  was 
only  made  to  feel  more  fully  how  precarious  was  her  foot- 
hold in  her  transient  abiding  place,  and  therefore  was 
rendered  more  furtive,  sly,  and  distant  in  order  to  secure 
toleration  by  keeping  out  of  everyone's  way.  In  her 
prowlings,  however,  she  managed  to  learn  and  under- 


MRS.  MUMP  SON  NEGOTIATES.  Zl 

stand  all  that  was  going  on  even  better  than  her  mother, 
who,  becoming  aware  of  this  fact,  was  acquiring  the 
habit  of  putting  her  through  a  whispered  cross-question- 
ing when  they  retired  for  the  night.  It  would  be  hard  to 
imagine  a  child  beginning  life  under  more  unfavorable 
auspices  and  still  harder  to  predict  the  outcome. 

In  the  course  of  her  close  watchfulness  she  had  observed 
how  many  of  the  domestic  labors  had  been  performed, 
and  she  would  have  helped  more  in  the  various  house- 
holds if  she  had  been  given  a  chance  ;  but  the  housewives 
had  not  regarded  her  as  sufficiently  honest  to  be  trusted 
in  the  pantries,  and  also  found  that,  if  there  was  a  sem- 
blance of  return  for  such  hospitality  as  they  extended, 
Mrs.  Mumpson  would  remain  indefinitely.  Moreover, 
the  homely,  silent  child  made  the  women  nervous,  just  as 
her  mother  irritated  the  men,  and  they  did  not  want  her 
around.  Thus  she  had  come  to  be  but  the  specter  of  a 
child,  knowing  little  of  the  good  in  the  world  and  as 
much  of  the  evil  as  she  could  understand. 

She  now  displayed,  however,  more  sense  than  her 
mother.  The  habit  of  close  scrutiny  had  made  it  clear 
that  Holcroft  would  not  long  endure  genteel  airs  and  in- 
efficiency, and  that  something  must  be  done  to  keep  this 
shelter.  She  did  her  best  to  get  supper,  with  the  aid  given 
from  the  rocking  chair,  and  at  last  broke  out  sharply, 
"You  must  get  up  and  help  me.  He'll  turn  us  out  of 
doors  if  we  don't  have  supper  ready  when  he  comes  in." 

Spurred  by  fear  of  such  a  dire  possibility,  Mrs.  Mump- 
son was  bustling  around  when  Holcroft  entered.  "We'll 
soon  be  ready,"  she  gushed,  "  we'll  soon  place  our  even- 
ing repast  upon  the  table." 

"Very  well,"  was  the  brief  reply,  as  he  passed  up  the 
stairs  with  the  small  hair  trunk  on  his  shoulder. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

DOMESTIC   BLISS. 

HOLCROFT  had  been  given  a  foretaste  of  the  phase  of 
torment  which  he  was  destined  to  endure  in  his  domestic 
relations,  and  was  planning  to  secure  a  refuge  into  which 
he  could  not  be  pursued.  He  had  made  himself  a  little 
more  presentable  for  supper,  instinctively  aware  that 
nothing  would  escape  the  lynx-eyed  widow,  and  was 
taking  some  measurements  from  the  floor  to  a  stovepipe 
hole  leading  into  the  chimney  flue,  when  he  became 
aware  that  someone  was  in  the  doorway.  Turning,  he 
saw  Jane  with  her  small  catlike  eyes  fixed  intently  upon 
him.  Instantly  he  had  the  feeling  that  he  was  being 
watched  and  would  be  watched. 

"  Supper's  ready,"  said  the  girl,  disappearing. 

Mrs.  Mumpson  smiled  upon  him — if  certain  contor- 
tions of  her  thin,  sharp  face  could  be  termed  a  smile — 
from  that  side  of  the  table  at  which  his  wife  had  sat 
so  many  years,  and  he  saw  that  the  low  rocking  chair, 
which  he  had  preserved  jealously  from  his  former 
"  help,"  had  been  brought  from  the  parlor  and  es- 
tablished in  the  old  familiar  place.  Mrs.  Mumpson 
folded  her  hands  and  assumed  a  look  of  deep  solemnity  ; 
Jane,  as  instructed,  also  lowered  her  head,  and  they 
waited  for  him  to  say  "  grace."  He  was  in  far  too 
bitter  a  mood  for  any  such  pious  farce,  and  stolidly  be- 


DOMESTIC  BLISS.  35 

gan  to  help  them  to  the  ham  and  eggs,  which  viands  had 
been  as  nearly  spoiled  as  was  possible  in  their  prepara- 
tion. The  widow  raised  her  head  with  a  profound  sigh 
which  set  Holcroft's  teeth  on  edge,  but  he  proceeded 
silently  with  his  supper.  The  biscuits  were  heavy  enough 
to  burden  the  lightest  conscience  ;  and  the  coffee,  simply 
grounds  swimming  around  in  lukewarm  water.  He  took 
a  sip,  then  put  down  his  cup  and  said,  quietly,  "  Guess 
I'll  take  a  glass  of  milk  to-night.  Mrs.  Mumpson,  if  you 
don't  know  how  to  make  coffee,  I  can  soon  show  you." 

"  Why  !  isn't  it  right  ?  How  strange  !  Perhaps  it 
would  be  well  for  you  to  show  me  just  exactly  how  you 
like  it,  for  it  will  afford  me  much  pleasure  to  make  it  to 
your  taste.  Men's  tastes  differ  so!  I've  heard  that  no 
two  men's  tastes  were  alike ;  and,  after  all,  everything  is 
a  matter  of  taste.  Now  Cousin  Abiram  doesn't  believe 
in  coffee  at  all.  He  thinks  it  is  unwholesome.  Have 
you  ever  thought  that  it  might  be  unwholesome  ?  " 

"  I'm  used  to  it,  and  would  like  it  good  when  I  have  it 
at  all." 

"  Why,  of  course,  of  course  !  You  must  have  it  exactly 
to  your  taste.  Jane,  my  dear,  we  must  put  our  minds  on 
coffee  and  learn  precisely  how  Mr.  Holcroft  likes  it,  and 
when  the  hired  girl  comes  we  must  carefully  superintend 
her  when  she  makes  it.  By  the  way,  I  suppose  you  will 
employ  my  assistant  to-morrow,  Mr,  Holcroft." 

"  I  can't  get  a  girl  short  of  town,"  was  the  reply,  "  and 
there  is  so  much  cream  in  the  dairy  that  ought  to  be 
churned  at  once  that  I'll  wait  till  next  Monday  and  take 
down  the  butter." 

Mrs.  Mumpson  put  on  a  grave,  injured  air,  and  said, 
*'  Well,"  so  disapprovingly  that  it  was  virtually  saying 
that  it  was  not  well  at  all.     Then,  suddenly  remember- 


36        HE  FELL  LN  LOVE    WLTH  HIS    WIFE. 

ing  that  this  was  not  good  policy,  she  was  soon  all 
smiles  and  chatter  again.  "  How  cozy  this  is  !"  she 
cried,  "and  how  soon  one  acquires  the  home  feeling! 
Why,  anyone  looking  in  at  the  window  would  think  that 
we  were  an  old  established  family,  and  yet  this  is  but 
our  first  meal  together.  But  it  won't  be  the  last,  Mr. 
Holcroft.  I  cannot  make  it  known  to  you  how  your 
loneliness,  which  Cousin  Lemuel  has  so  feelingly  de- 
scribed to  me,  has  affected  my  feelings.  Cousin  Nancy 
said  but  this  very  day  that  you  have  had  desperate  times 
with  all  kinds  of  dreadful  creatures.  But  all  that's  past. 
Jane  and  me  will  give  a  look  of  stability  and  respecter- 
bility  to  every  comer." 

•'  Well,  really,  Mrs.  Mumpson,  I  don't  know  who's  to 
come." 

•'  Oh,  you'll  see  !  "  she  replied,  wrinkling  her  thin,  blue 
lips  into  what  was  meant  for  a  smile,  and  nodding  her 
head  at  him  encouragingly.  "  You  won't  be  so  isolated 
no  more.  Now  that  I'm  here,  with  my  offspring,  your 
neighbors  will  feel  that  they  can  show  you  their  sympa- 
thy. The  most  respecterble  people  in  town  will  call, 
and  your  life  will  grow  brighter  and  brighter  ;  clouds 
will  roll  away,  and " 

"  I  hope  the  neighbors  will  not  be  so  ill-mannered  as  to 
come  without  being  invited,"  remarked  Mr.  Holcroft, 
grimly.  "  It's  too  late  in  the  day  for  them  to  begin 
now." 

"  My  being  here  with  Jane  will  make  all  the  difference 
in  the  world,"  resumed  Mrs.  Mumpson,  with  as  sac- 
charine an  expression  as  she  could  assume.  "  They  will 
come  out  of  pure  kindness  and  friendly  interest,  with  the 
wish  to  encourage " 

"  Mrs.  Mumpson,"  said  Holcroft,  half  desperately,  "  if 


DOMESTIC  BLISS.  37 

anyone  comes  it  '11  be  out  of  pure  curiosity,  and  I  don't 
want  such  company.  Selling  enough  butter,  eggs,  and 
produce  to  pay  expenses  will  encourage  me  more  than 
all  the  people  of  Oakville,  if  they  should  come  in  a  body. 
What's  the  use  of  talking  in  this  way  ?  I've  done  with- 
out the  neighbors  so  far,  and  I'm  sure  they've  been  very 
careful  to  do  without  me.  I  shall  have  nothing  to  do 
with  them  except  in  the  way  of  business,  and  as  I  said 
to  you  down  at  Lemuel  Weeks's,  business  must  be  the 
first  consideration  with  us  all,"  and  he  rose  from  the 
table. 

"  Oh,  certainly,  certainly  !  "  the  widow  hastened  to  say, 
"but  then  business  is  like  a  cloud,  and  the  meetings  and 
greetings  of  friends  is  a  sort  of  silver  lining,  you  know. 
What  would  the  world  be  without  friends — the  society 
of  those  who  take  an  abiding  interest  }  Believe  me,  Mr. 
Holcroft,"  she  continued,  bringing  her  long,  skinny  finger 
impressively  down  on  the  table,  "  you  have  lived  alone  so 
long  that  you  are  unable  to  see  the  crying  needs  of  your 
own  constitution.  As  a  Christian  man,  you  require 
human  sympathy  and " 

Poor  Holcroft  knew  little  of  centrifugal  force  ;  but  at 
that  moment  he  was  a  living  embodiment  of  it,  feeling  that 
if  he  did  not  escape  he  would  fly  into  a  thousand  atoms. 
Saying  nervously,  "  I've  a  few  chores  to  do,"  he  seized 
his  hat,  and  hastening  out,  wandered  disconsolately 
around  the  barn.  "  I'm  never  going  to  be  able  to  stand 
her,"  he  groaned.  "  I  know  now  why  my  poor  wife 
shook  her  head  whenever  this  woman  was  mentioned. 
The  clack  of  her  tongue  would  drive  any  man  living 
crazy,  and  the  gimlet  eyes  of  that  girl  Jane  would  bore 
holes  through  a  saint's  patience.  Well,  well  I  I'll  put  a 
stove  up  in  my  room,  then  plowing  and  planting  time 


38        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

will  soon  be  here,  and  I  guess  I  can  stand  it  at  meal- 
times for  three  months,  for  unless  she  stops  her  foolish- 
ness she  shan't  stay  any  longer." 

Jane  had  not  spoken  during  the  meal,  but  kept  her 
eyes  on  Holcroft,  except  when  he  looked  toward  her,  and 
then  she  instantly  averted  her  gaze.  When  she  was 
alone  with  her  mother,  she  said  abruptly,  "  We  aint  a- 
goin'  to  stay  here  long,  nuther." 

"  Why  not  ?  "  was  the  sharp,  responsive  query. 

"  'Cause  the  same  look's  comin'  into  his  face  that  was 
in  Cousin  Lemuel's  and  Cousin  Abiram's  and  all  the  rest 
of  'em.  'Fi's  you  I'd  keep  still  now.  'Pears  to  me  they 
all  want  you  to  keep  still  and  you  won't." 

"Jane,"  said  Mrs.  Mumpson  in  severe  tones,  "you're 
an  ignorant  child.  Don't  presume  to  instruct  w^/  Be- 
sides, this  case  is  entirely  different.  Mr.  Holcroft  must 
be  made  to  understand  from  the  start  that  I'm  not  a 
common  woman — that  I'm  his  equal,  and  in  most 
respects  his  superior.  If  he  aint  made  to  feel  this,  it  'II 
never  enter  his  head — but  law  !  there's  things  which  you 
can't  and  oughtn't  to  understand." 

"But  I  do,"  said  the  girl  shortly,  "and  he  won't 
marry  you,  nor  keep  you,  if  you  talk  him  to  death." 

"  Jane!  "  gasped  Mrs.  Mumpson,  as  she  sank  into  the 
chair  and  rocked  violently. 

The  night  air  was  keen  and  soon  drove  Holcroft  into 
the  house.  As  he  passed  the  kitchen  window,  he  saw 
that  Mrs.  Mumpson  was  in  his  wife's  rocking  chair  and 
that  Jane  was  clearing  up  the  table.  He  kindled  a  fire 
on  the  parlor  hearth,  hoping,  but  scarcely  expecting,  that 
he  would  be  left  alone. 

Nor  was  he  very  long,  for  the  widow  soon  opened  the 
door  and  entered,    carrying   the   chair.     "  Oh,   you   are 


DOMESTIC  BLISS.  39 

here,"  she  said  sweetly.  "  I  heard  the  fire  crackHng, 
and  I  do  so  love  open  wood  fires.  They're  company  in 
themselves,  and  they  make  those  who  bask  in  the  flicker- 
ing blaze  inclined  to  be  sociable.  To  think  of  how  many 
long,  lonely  evenings  you  have  sat  here  when  you  had 
persons  in  your  employ  with  whom  you  could  have  no 
affinity  whatever  !  I  don't  see  how  you  stood  it.  Under 
such  circumstances  life  must  cloud  up  into  a  dreary 
burden."  It  never  occurred  to  Mrs.  Mumpson  that  her 
figures  of  speech  were  often  mixed.  She  merely  felt  that 
the  sentimental  phase  of  conversation  must  be  very 
flowery.  But  during  the  first  evening  she  had  resolved 
on  prudence.  "  Mr.  Holcroft  shall  have  time,"  she 
thought,  "  for  the  hope  to  steal  into  his  heart  that  his 
housekeeper  may  become  something  more  to  him  thnn 
housekeeper — that  there  is  a  nearer  and  loftier  relation," 

Meanwhile  she  was  consumed  with  curiosity  to  know 
something  about  the  "  persons "  previously  employed 
and  his  experiences  with  them.  With  a  momentary, 
and,  as  she  felt,  a  proper  pause  before  descending  to 
ordinary  topics,  she  resumed,  "  My  dear  Mr.  Holcroft, 
no  doubt  it  will  be  a  relief  to  your  overfraught  mind  to 
pour  into  a  symperthetic  ear  the  story  of  your  troubles 
with  those — er— those  peculiar  females  that — er — 
that " 

"  Mrs.  Mumpson,  it  would  be  a  much  greater  relief  to 
my  mind  to  forget  all  about  'em,"  he  replied  briefly. 

"Indeed  f  "  exclaimed  the  widow.  "  Was  they  as  bad 
as  that  ?  Who'd  'a'  thought  it !  W^ell,  well,  well ;  what 
people  there  is  in  the  world  !  And  you  couldn't  abide 
'em,  then  ?  " 

"  No,  I  couldn't." 

*'  Well  now  ;  what  hussies  they  must  have  been  !     And 


40        HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

to  think  you  were  here  all  alone,  with  no  better  company  I 
It  makes  my  heart  bleed.  They  do  say  that  Bridget 
Malony  is  equal  to  anything,  and  I've  no  doubt  but  that 
she  took  things  and  did  things." 

"  Well,  she's  taken  herself  off,  and  that's  enough." 
Then  he  groaned  inwardly,  "  Good  Lord  !  I  could  stand 
her  and  all  her  tribe  better'n  this  one." 

"  Yes,  ]\Ir.  Holcroft,"  pursued  Mrs.  Mumpson,  sinking 
her  voice  to  a  loud,  confidential  whisper,  "  and  I  don't 
believe  you've  any  idea  how  much  she  took  with  her. 
I  fear  you've  been  robbed  in  all  these  vicissitudes.  Men 
never  know  what's  in  a  house.  They  need  caretakers ; 
respecterble  women,  that  would  sooner  cut  out  their 
tongues  than  purloin.  How  happy  is  the  change  which 
has  been  affected  !  How  could  you  abide  in  the  house 
with  such  a  person  as  that  Bridget  Malony.^  " 

"  Well,  well,  Mrs.  Mumpson  !  she  abode  with  herself. 
I  at  least  had  this  room  in  peace  and  quietness." 

"  Of  course,  of  course  !  A  person  so  utterly  unrespec- 
terble  would  not  think  of  enterii^.g  this  apartment  ;  but 
then  you  had  to  meet  her,  you  know.  You  could  not 
act  as  if  she  was  not,  when  she  was,  and  there  being  so 
much  of  her,  too.  She  was  a  monstrous-looking  person. 
It's  dreadful  to  think  that  such  persons  belong  to  our 
sex.  I  don't  wonder  you  feel  as  you  do  about  it  all.  I 
can  understand  you  perfectly.  All  your  senserbleness 
was  offended.  You  felt  that  your  very  home  had  become 
sacrilegious.  Well,  now,  I  suppose  she  said  awful  things 
to  you  ?  " 

Holcroft  could  not  endure  this  style  of  inquisition  and 
comment  another  second  longer,  He  rose  and  said, 
"  Mrs.  Mumpson,  if  you  want  to  know  just  what  she  said 
and  did,  you  must  go  and  ask  her.     I'm  very  tired.     I'll 


DOMESTIC  BLISS.  41 

g-o  out  and  see  that  the  stock's  all  right,  and  then  go  to 
bed." 

"  Oh,  certainly,  certainly  ! "  ejaculated  the  widow. 
"  Repose  is  nature's  sweet  rester,  says  the  poet.  I  can 
see  how  recalling  those  dreadful  scenes  with  those  peculiar 
females "     But  he  was  gone. 

In  passing  out,  he  caught  sight  of  Jane  whisking  back 
into  the  kitchen.  "  She's  been  listening,"  he  thought. 
"Well,  I'll  go  to  town  to-morrow  afternoon,  get  a  stove 
for  my  room  upstairs,  and  stuff  the  keyhole." 

He  went  to  the  barn  and  looked  with  envy  at  the  placid 
cows  and  quiet  horses.  At  last,  having  lingered  as  long 
as  he  could,  he  returned  to  the  kitchen.  Jane  had 
washed  and  put  away  the  supper  dishes  after  a  fashion, 
and  was  now  sitting  on  the  ^<\g^  of  a  chair  in  the  farthest 
corner  of  the  room. 

"  Take  this  candle  and  go  to  your  mother,"  he  said 
curtly.  Then  he  fastened  the  doors  and  put  out  the 
lamp.  Standing  for  an  instant  at  the  parlor  entrance,  he 
added,  "  Please  rake  up  the  fire  and  put  out  the  light 
before  you  come  up.     Good-night." 

"  Oh,  certainly,  certainly  !  we'll  look  after  everything 
just  as   if  it  was   our  own.      The  sense  of  strangeness 

will  soon  pass "     But  his  steps  were  halfway  up  the 

stairs. 

Mother  and  daughter  listened  until  they  heard  him 
overhead,  then,  taking  the  candle,  they  began  a  most 
minute  examination  of  everything  in  the  room. 

Poor  Holcroft  listened  also  ;  too  worried,  anxious,  and 
nervous  to  sleep  until  they  came  up  and  all  sounds  ceased 
in  the  adjoining  apartment. 


CHAPTER  V. 

MRS.   MUMPSON   TAKES   UP   HER   BURDENS. 

The  next  morning  Holcroft  awoke  early.  The  rising 
sun  flooded  his  plain  little  room  with  mellow  light.  It 
was  impossible  to  give  way  to  dejection  in  that  radiance, 
and  hope,  he  scarcely  knew  why,  sprung  up  in  his  heart. 
He  was  soon  dressed,  and  having  kindled  the  kitchen 
fire,  went  out  on  the  porch.  There  had  been  a  change 
in  the  wind  during  the  night,  and  now  it  blew  softly  from 
the  south.  The  air  was  sweet  with  the  indefinable 
fragrance  of  spring.  The  ethereal  notes  of  bluebirds 
were  heard  on  every  side.  Migratory  robins  were  feeding 
in  the  orchard,  whistling  and  calling  their  noisy  congratu- 
lations on  arriving  at  old  haunts.  The  frost  was  already 
oozing  from  the  ground,  but  the  farmer  welcomed  the 
mud,  knowing  that  it  indicated  a  long  advance  toward 
plowing  and  planting  time. 

He  bared  his  head  to  the  sweet,  warm  air  and  tool: 
long,  deep  breaths.  "  If  this  weather  holds,"  he  mut- 
tered, "  I  can  soon  put  in  some  early  potatoes  on  that 
warm  hillside  yonder.  Yes,  I  can  stand  even  her  for  the 
sake  of  being  on  the  old  place  in  mornings  like  this. 
The  weather  '11  be  getting  better  every  day  and  I  can  be 
out  of  doors  more.  I'll  have  a  stove  in  my  room  to-night ; 
I  would  last  night  if  the  old  air-tight  hadn't  given  out 
completely.     I'll  take  it  to  town  this  afternoon  and  sell 


MRS.  MUMP  SON'S  BURDENS.  43 

it  for  old  iron.  Then  I'll  get  a  bran'-new  one  and  put  it 
up  in  my  room.  They  can't  follow  me  there  and  they 
can't  follow  me  outdoors,  and  so  perhaps  I  can  live  in 
peace  and  work  most  of  the  time." 

Thus  he  was  murmuring  to  himself,  as  lonely  people 
so  often  do,  when  he  felt  that  someone  was  near,  Turn- 
ing suddenly,  he  saw  Jane  half-hidden  by  the  kitchen 
door.  Finding  herself  observed,  the  girl  came  forward 
and  said  in  her  brief,  monotonous  way  : 

"  Mother  '11  be  down  soon.  If  you'll  show  me  how  you 
want  the  coffee  and  things,  I  guess  I  can  learn." 

"  I  guess  you'll  have  to,  Jane.  There  '11  be  more  chance 
of  your  teaching  your  mother  than  of  her  teaching  you, 
I  fear.  But  we'll  see,  we'll  see  ;  it's  strange  people  can't 
see  what's  sensible  and  best  for  'em  when  they  see  so 
much." 

The  child  made  no  reply,  but  watched  him  intently  as 
he  measured  out  and  then  ground  half  a  cup  of  coffee. 

"The  first  thing  to  do,"  he  began  kindly,  "is  to  fill 
the  kettle  with  water  fresh  drawn  from  the  well.  Never 
make  coffee  or  tea  with  water  that's  been  boiled  two  or 
three  times.  Now,  I'll  give  the  kettle  a  good  rinsing,  so 
as  to  make  sure  you  start  with  it  clean." 

Having  accomplished  this,  he  filled  the  vessel  at  the 
well  and  placed  it  on  the  fire,  remarking  as  he  did  so, 
"  Your  mother  can  cook  a  little,  can't  she  ?  " 

"  I  s'pose  so,"  Jane  replied.  "  When  father  was  livin' 
mother  said  she  kept  a  girl.  Since  then,  we've  visited 
round.     But  she'll  learn,  and  if  she  can't,  I  can." 

"  What  on  earth — but  there's  no  use  of  talking.  When 
the  water  boils — bubbles  up  and  down,  you  know— call 
me.  I  suppose  you  and  your  mother  can  get  the  rest  of  the 
breakfast.''     Oh,  good-morning,  Mrs.  Mumpson!     I  was 


44        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

just  sliowing  Jane  about  the  coffee.  You  two  can  go  on 
and  do  all  the  rest,  but  don't  touch  the  coffee  till  the 
kettle  boils,  and  then  I'll  come  in  and  show  you  my  way, 
and,  if  you  please,  I  don't  wish  it  any  other  way." 

"  Oh,  certainly,  certainly  !  "  began  Mrs.  Mumpson,  but 
Holcroft  waited  to  hear  no  more. 

"  She's  a  woman,"  he  muttered,  "  and  I'll  say  nothing 
rude  or  ugly  to  her,  but  I  shan't  listen  to  her  talk  half  a 
minute  when  I  can  help  myself ;  and  if  she  won'<-  do  any 
thing  but  talk — well,  we'll  see,  we'll  see  !  A  few  hours  in 
the  dairy  will  show  whether  she  can  use  anything  besides 
her  tongue." 

As  soon  as  they  were  alone  Jane'turned  sharply  on  her 
mother  and  said,  "  Now^  you've  got  to  do  something  to 
help.  At  Cousin  Lemuel's  and  other  places  they  wouldn't 
let  us  help.  Anyhow,  they  wouldn't  let  me.  He  'spects 
us  both  to  work,  and  pays  you  for  it.  I  tell  you  agin,  he 
won't  let  us  stay  here  unless  we  do.  I  won't  go  visitin' 
round  any  more,  feelin'  like  a  stray  cat  in  every  house  I 
go  to.     You've  got  to  work,  and  talk  less." 

"  Why,  Jane  !  \\o\\ you  talk  !  " 

"  I  talk  sense.     Come,  help  me  get  breakfast." 

"  Do  you  think  that's  a  proper  way  for  a  child  to 
address  a  parent  ?  " 

"No  matter  what  I  think.  Come  and  help.  You'll 
soon  know  what  he  thinks  if  we  keep  breakfast  waiiin'." 

"Well,  I'll  do  such  menial  work  until  he  gets  a  girl, 
and  then  he  shall  learn  that  he  can't  expect  one  with  such 
respecterble  connections " 

"  Hope  I  may  never  see  any  of  'em  agin,"  interrupted 
Jane  shortly,  and  then  she  relapsed  into  silence  while  her 
mother  rambled  on  in  her  characteristic  way,  making 
singularly  inapt  efforts  to  assist  in  the  task  before  them. 


MRS.  MUMP  SON'S  BURDENS.  45 

As  Holcroft  rose  from  milking  a  cow  he  found  Jane 
beside  him.  A  ghost  could  not  have  come  more  silently, 
and  again  her  stealthy  ways  gave  him  an  uni)leasant 
sensation.  "  Kettle  is  boilin',"  she  said,  and  was 
gone. 

He  shook  his  head  and  muttered,  "  Queer  tribe,  these 
Mumpsons  !  I've  only  to  get  an  odd  fish  of  a  girl  to  help, 
and  I'll  have  something  like  a  menagerie  in  the  house." 
He  carried  his  pails  of  foaming  milk  to  the  dairy,  and 
then  entered  the  kitchen. 

"  I've  only  a  minute,"  he  began  hastily,  seeking  to  fore- 
stall the  widow.  "  Yes,  the  kettle's  boiling  all  right. 
First  scald  out  the  coffeepot — put  three-quarters  of  a 
cup  of  ground  coffee  into  the  pot,  break  an  tg^  into  it, 
so  ;  pour  on  the  ^gg  and  coffee  half  a  cup  of  cold  water 
and  stir  it  all  up  well,  this  way.  Next  pour  in  about  a 
pint  of  boiling  water  from  the  kettle,  set  the  pot  on  the 
stove  and  let  it — the  coffee,  I  mean — cook  twenty  minutes, 
remember,  not  less  than  twenty  minutes.  I'll  be  back  to 
breakfast  by  that  time.  Now  you  know  just  how  I  want 
my  coffee,  don't  you  ?  "  looking  at  Jane. 

Jane  nodded,  but  Mrs.  Mumpson  began,  "  Oh,  certainly, 
certainly  !  Boil  an  ^gg  twenty  minutes,  add  half  a  cup  of 
cold  water,  and " 

"  I  know,"  interrupted  Jane,  "  I  can  always  do  as  you 
did." 

Holcroft  again  escaped  to  the  barn,  and  eventually 
returned  with  a  deep  sigh.  "  I'll  have  to  face  a  good 
deal  of  her  music  this  morning,"  he  thought,  "  but  I  shall 
have  at  least  a  good  cup  of  coffee  to  brace  me." 

Mrs.  Mumpson  did  not  abandon  the  suggestion  that 
grace  should  be  said,— she  never  abandoned  anything, — 
but  the  farmer,  in  accordance  with   bis  purpose  to  be 


46        HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    IV  11  LI  HLS    WIFE. 

civil,  yet  pay  no  attention  to  her  obtrusive  ways,  gave  no 
heed  to  her  hint.  He  thought  Jane  looked  apprehensive, 
and  soon  learned  the  reason.  His  coffee  was  at  least 
hot,  but  seemed  exceedingly  weak. 

"  I  hope  now  that  it's  just  right,"  said  Mrs.  Mumpson 
complacently,  "and  feeling  sure  that  it  was  made  just  to 
suit  you,  I  filled  the  coffeepot  full  from  the  kettle.  We 
can  drink  what  we  desire  for  breakfast  and  then  the  rest 
can  be  set  aside  until  dinner  time  and  warmed  over. 
Then  you'll  have  it  just  to  suit  you  for  the  next  meal,  and 
we,  at  the  same  time,  will  be  practicing  econermy.  It 
shall  now  be  my  great  aim  to  help  you  econermize.  Any 
coarse,  menial  hands  can  work,  but  the  great  thing  to  be 
considered  is  a  caretaker  ;  one  who,  by  thoughtfulness  and 
the  employment  of  her  mind,  w^ill  make  the  labor  of 
others  affective." 

During  this  speech,  Holcroft  could  only  stare  at  the 
woman.  The  rapid  motion  of  her  thin  jaw  seemed  to 
fascinate  him,  and  he  was  in  perplexity  over  not  merely 
her  rapid  utterance,  but  also  the  queries,  Had  she 
maliciously  spoiled  the  coffee .''  or  didn't  she  know  any 
better?  "  I  can't  make  her  out,"  he  thought,  "  but  she 
shall  learn  that  I  have  a  will  of  my  own,"  and  he  quietly 
rose,  took  the  coffeepot,  and  poured  its  contents  out  of 
doors  ;  then  went  through  the  whole  process  of  making 
his  favorite  beverage  again,  saying  coldly,  "  Jane,  you  had 
better  watch  close  this  time.  I  don't  wish  anyone  to 
touch  the  coffeepot  but  you." 

Even  Mrs.  Mumpson  was  a  little  abashed  by  his 
manner,  but  when  he  resumed  his  breakfast  she  speedily 
recovered  her  complacency  and  volubility.  "  I've  always 
heard,"  she  said,  with  her  little  cackling  laugh,  "  that 
men  would  be  extravergant,  especially  in    some   things. 


MRS.   MUMPSON'S  BURDENS.  47 

There  are  some  things  they're  fidgety  about  and  will  have 
just  so.  Well,  well,  who  has  a  better  right  than  a  well- 
to-do,  fore-handed  man  ?  Woman  is  to  complement  the 
man,  and  it  should  be  her  aim  to  study  the  great — the 
great — shall  we  say  reason,  for  her  being?  which  is 
adaptation,"  and  she  uttered  the  word  with  feeling,  assured 
that  Holcroft  could  not  fail  of  being  impressed  by  it. 
The  poor  man  was  bolting  such  food  as  had  been  pre- 
pared in  his  haste  to  get  away. 

"  Yes,"  continued  the  widow,  "adaptation  is  woman's 
mission  and " 

"  Really,  Mrs.  Mumpson,  your  and  Jane's  mission  this 
morning  will  be  to  get  as  much  butter  as  possible  out  of 
the  cream  and  milk  on  hand.  I'll  set  the  old  dog  on  the 
wheel,  and  start  the  churn  within  half  an  hour,"  and  he 
rose  with  the  thought, "  I'd  rather  finish  my  breakfast  on 
milk  and  coffee  by  and  by  than  stand  this."  And  he  said, 
"  Please  let  the  coffee  be  until  I  come  in  to  show  you 
about  taking  out  and  working  the  butter." 

The  scenes  in  the  dairy  need  not  be  dwelt  upon.  He 
saw  that  Jane  might  be  taught,  and  that  she  would  prob- 
ably try  to  do  all  that  her  strength  permitted.  It  was 
perfectly  clear  that  Mrs.  Mumpson  was  not  only  ignorant 
of  the  duties  which  he  had  employed  her  to  perform,  but 
that  she  was  also  too  preoccupied  with  her  talk  and 
notions  of  gentility  ever  to  learn.  He  was  already  satis- 
fied that  in  inducing  him  to  engage  her,  Lemuel  Weeks 
had  played  him  a  trick,  but  there  seemed  no  other 
resource  than  to  fulfill  his  agreement.  With  Mrs.  Mump- 
son in  the  house,  there  might  be  less  difficulty  in  securing 
and  keeping  a  hired  girl  who,  with  Jane,  might  do  the 
essential  work.  But  the  future  looked  so  unpromising 
that  even  the  strong  coffee  could  not  sustain  his  spirits. 


48        HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

The  hopefulness  of  the  early  morning  departed,  leaving 
nothing  but  dreary  uncertainty. 

Mrs.  Mumpson  was  bent  upon  accompanying  him  to 
town  and  engaging  the  girl  herself.  "  There  would  be 
great  propriety  in  my  doing  so,"  she  argued  at  dinner, 
•'  and  propriety  is  something  that  adorns  all  the  human 
race.  There  would  be  no  danger  of  my  getting  any  of 
the  peculiar  females  such  as  you  have  been  afflicted  with. 
As  I  am  to  superintend  her  labors,  she  will  look  up  to  me 
with  respect  and  humility  if  she  learns  from  the  first  to 
recognize  in  me  a  superior  on  whom  she  will  be  depend- 
ent for  her  daily  bread.  No  shiftless  hussy  would  impose 
upon  me.  I  would  bring  home — how  sweet  the  word 
sounds  !— a  model  of  industry  and  patient  endurance. 
She  would  be  deferential,  she  would  know  her  place,  too. 
Everything  would  go  like  clockwork  in  our  home.  I'll 
put  on  my  things  at  once  and " 

"  Excuse  me,  Mrs.  Mumpson.  It  would  not  be  right 
to  leave  Jane  here  alone.  Moreover,  I'd  rather  engage 
my  own  help." 

"  But,  my  dear  Mr.  Holcroft,  you  don't  realize — men 
never  do  realize — that  you  will  have  a  long,  lonely  ride 
with  a  female  of  unknown — unknown  antercedents.  It 
will  be  scarcely  respecterble,  and  respecterbility  should 
be  man  and  woman's  chief  aim.  Jane  is  not  a  timid 
child,  and  in  an  emergency  like  this,  even  if  she  was,  she 
would  gladly  sacrifice  herself  to  sustain  the  proprieties 
of  life.  Now  that  your  life  has  begun  under  new  and 
better  auspicies,  I  feel  that  I  ought  to  plead  with  you 
not  to  cloud  your  brightening  prospects  by  a  thoughtless 
unregard  of  what  society  looks  upon  as  proper.  The 
eyes  of  the  commnuity  will  now  be  upon  us " 

"  You  must  excuse  me,  Mrs.  Mumpson.     All  I  ask  of 


MRS.   MUMPSON'S  BURDENS.  49 

the  community  is  to  keep  their  eyes  on  their  own  busi- 
ness, while  I  attend  to  mine  in  my  own  way.  The 
probabilities  are  that  the  girl  will  come  out  on  the  stage 
Monday,"  and  he  rose  from  the  dinner  table  and  hastily 
made  his  preparations  for  departure.  He  was  soon 
driving  rapidly  away,  having  a  sort  of  nervous  apprehen- 
sion lest  Jane,  or  the  widow,  should  suddenly  appear  on 
the  seat  beside  him.  A  basket  of  eggs  and  some  inferior 
butter,  with  the  burnt-out  stove,  were  in  his  wagon  and 
his  bank  book  was  in  his  pocket.  It  was  with  sinking 
heart  that  he  thought  of  making  further  inroads  on  his 
small  accumulations. 

Before  he  was  out  of  sight  Mrs.  Mumpson  betook  her- 
self to  the  rocking  chair  and  began  to  expatiate  on  the 
blindness  and  obduracy  of  men  in  general  and  of  Mr. 
Holcroft  in  particular.  "  They  are  all  much  alike,"  she 
complained,  "and  are  strangely  neglectful  of  the  proprie- 
ties of  life.  My  dear,  deceased  husband,  your  father, 
was  becoming  gradually  senserble  of  my  value  in  guiding 
him  in  this  respect,  and  indeed,  I  may  add  in  all  respects, 
when,  in  the  very  prime  of  his  expanding  manhood,  he 
was  laid  low.  Of  course,  my  happiness  was  buried 
then  and  my  heart  can  never  throb  again,  but  I  have  a 
mission  in  the  world — I  feel  it — and  here  is  a  desolate 
home  bereft  of  female  influence  and  consolation  and 
hitherto  painfully  devoid  of  respecterbility.  I  once 
called  on  the  late  Mrs.  Holcroft,  and — I  must  say  it — I 
went  away  depressed  by  a  sense  of  her  lack  of  ability  to 
develop  in  her  husband  those  qualities  which  would  make 
him  an  ornament  to  society.  She  was  a  silent  woman, 
she.  lacked  mind  and  ideas.  She  had  seen  little  of  the 
world  and  knew  not  what  was  swaying  people.  There- 
fore, her  husband,  having  nothing  else  to  think  of,  became 


50        HE  FELL  IN-  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

absorbed  in  the  accumulation  of  dollars.  Not  that  I 
object  to  dollars,— they  have  their  proper  place, — but 
minds  should  be  fixed  on  all  things.  We  should  take  a 
deep  personal  interest  in  our  fellow-beings,  and  thus  we 
grow  broad.  As  I  was  saying,  Mr.  Holcroft  was  not 
developed  by  his  late  spouse.  He  needs  awakening, 
arousing,  stimulating,  drawing  out,  and  such  I  feel  to 
be  my  mission.  I  must  be  patient ;  I  cannot  expect  the 
habits  of  years  to  pas€  away  under  a  different  kind  of 
female  influence,  at  once." 

Jane  had  been  stolidly  washing  and  putting  away 
dishes  during  this  partial  address  to  herself  and  partial 
soliloquy,  but  now  remarked,  "  You  and  me  will  pass 
away  in  a  week  if  you  go  on  as  you've  begun.  I  can  see 
it  comin'.     Then,  where  '11  we  go  to  ?  " 

"  Your  words,  Jane,  only  show  that  you  are  an  igno- 
rant, short-sighted  child.  Do  you  suppose  that  a  woman 
of  my  years  and  experience  would  make  no  better  pro- 
vision for  the  future  than  a  man's  changeful  mind — a 
warped  and  undeveloped  mind,  at  that  ?  No  ;  I  have  an 
agreement  with  Mr.  Holcroft.  I  shall  be  a  member  of 
his  household  for  three  months  at  least,  and  long  before 
that  he  will  begin  to  see  everything  in  a  new  light.  It 
will  gradually  dawn  upon  him  that  he  has  been  defrauded 
of  proper  female  influence  and  society.  Now,  he  is 
crude,  he  thinks  only  of  work  and  accumulating;  but 
when  the  work  is  done  by  a  menial  female's  hands  and 
his  mind  is  more  at  rest,  there  will  begin  to  steal  in  upon 
him  the  cravings  of  his  mind.  He  will  see  that  material 
things  are  not  all  in  all." 

"  P'raps  he  will.  I  don't  half  know  what  you're 
talkin'  about.  'Fi's  you,  I'd  learn  to  work  and  do 
things   as    he   wants    'em.     That's   what    I'm  going  to 


MRS.   MUMP  SON'S  BURDENS.  5* 

do.  Shall  I  go  now  and  make  up  his  bed  and  tidy 
his   room  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  will  accompany  you,  Jane,  and  see  that  your 
task  is  properly  performed." 

"  Of  course  you  want  to  see  everythin'  in  the  room, 
just  as  I  do." 

"  As  housekeeper,  I  should  see  everything  that  is  under 
my  care.     That  is  the  right  way  to  look  at  the  matter." 

"  Well,  come  and  look  then." 

"  You  are  becoming  strangely  disrerspectful,  Jane." 

"  Can't  help  it,"  replied  the  girl,  "  I'm  gettin'  mad. 
We've  been  elbowed  around  long's  I  can  remember,  at 
least  I've  been,  and  now  we're  in  a  place  where  we've  a 
right  to  be,  and  you  do  nothin'  but  talk,  talk,  talk,  when 
he  hates  talk.  Now  you'll  go  up  in  his  room  and  you'll 
see  everythin'  in  it,  so  you  could  tell  it  all  off  to-morrow. 
Why,  can't  you  see  he  hates  talk  and  wants  somethin' 
done  ?  " 

"Jane,"  said  Mrs.  Mumpson,  in  her  most  severe  and 
dignified  manner,  "  you  are  not  only  disrerspectful  to 
your  parent,  but  you're  a  time-server.  What  Mr.  Hol- 
croft  wants  is  a  very  secondary  matter;  what  is  best  for 
him  is  the  chief  consideration.  But  I  have  touched  on 
things  far  above  your  comprehension.  Come,  you  can 
make  up  the  bed,  and  I  shall  inspect  as  becomes  my 
station." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A  MARRIAGE  ? 

In  a  quiet  side  street  of  the  market  town  in  which  Mr. 
Holcroft  was  accustomed  to  dispose  of  his  farm  produce 
was  a  three-story  tenement  house.  A  family  occupied 
each  floor,  those  dwelHng  in  the  first  two  stories  being 
plain,  respectable  people  of  the  mechanic  class.  The 
rooms  in  the  third  story  were,  of  course,  the  cheapest, 
but  even  from  the  street  might  be  seen  evidences  that 
more  money  had  been  spent  upon  them  than  could  have 
been  saved  in  rent.  Lace  curtains  were  looped  aside 
from  the  windows,  through  which  were  caught  glimpses 
of  flowers  that  must  have  come  from  a  greenhouse.  We 
have  only  to  enter  these  apartments  to  find  that  the  sug- 
gestion of  refined  taste  is  amply  fulfilled.  While  nothing 
is  costly,  there  is  a  touch  of  grace,  a  hint  of  beauty  in 
everything  permitting  simple  adornment.  The  mistress 
of  these  rooms  is  not  satisfied  with  neatness  and  order 
merely ;  it  is  her  instinct  to  add  something  to  please  the 
eye — a  need  essential  to  her,  yet  too  often  conspicuously 
absent  in  rented  quarters  of  a  similar  character. 

It  is  remarkable  to  what  a  degree  people's  abodes  are 
a  reflex  of  themselves.  Mrs.  Alida  Ostrom  had  been 
brought  to  these  rooms  a  happy  bride  but  a  few  months 
since.  They  were  then  bare  and  not  very  clean.  Her 
husband  had  seemed  bent  on  indulging  her  so  far  as  his 


A   MARRIAGE?  53 

limited  means  permitted.  He  had  declared  that  his  in- 
come was  so  modest  that  he  could  afford  nothing  better 
than  these  cheap  rooms  in  an  obscure  street,  but  she  had 
been  abundantly  content,  for  she  had  known  even  the 
extremity  of  poverty. 

Alida  Ostrom  had  passed  beyond  the  period  of  girl- 
hood, with  its  superficial  desires  and  ambitions.  When 
her  husband  first  met  her  she  was  a  woman  of  thirty,  and 
had  been  chastened  by  deep  sorrows  and  some  bitter  ex- 
periences. Years  before,  she  and  her  mother  had  come 
to  this  town  from  a  New  England  city  in  the  hope  of  bet- 
tering their  circumstances.  They  had  no  weapons  other 
than  their  needles  with  which  to  fight  life's  battle,  but 
they  were  industrious  and  frugal — characteristic  traits 
which  won  the  confidence  of  the  shopkeepers  for  whom 
they  worked.  All  went  as  well,  perhaps,  as  they  could 
expect,  for  two  or  three  years,  their  secluded  lives  passing 
uneventfully  and,  to  a  certain  extent,  happily.  They  had 
time  to  read  some  good  books  obtained  at  a  public 
library  ;  they  enjoyed  an  occasional  holiday  in  the  coun- 
try ;  and  they  went  to  church  twice  every  Sunday  wher 
it  was  not  stormy.  The  mother  usually  dozed  in  th( 
obscure  seat  near  the  door  which  they  occupied,  for  she 
was  getting  old,  and  the  toil  of  the  long  week  wearied 
her.  Alida,  on  the  contrary,  was  closely  attentive.  Her 
mind  seemed  to  crave  all  the  sustenance  it  could  get  from 
every  source,  and  her  reverential  manner  indicated  thai 
the  hopes  inspired  by  her  faith  were  dear  and  cherished. 
Although  they  lived  such  quiet  lives  and  kept  themselves 
apart  from  their  neighbors,  there  was  no  mystery  about 
them  which  awakened  surmises.  "  They've  seen  better 
days,"  was  the  common  remark  when  they  were  spoken 
of ;  and  this  was  true.     While  they  had  no  desire  to  be 


54        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE, 

social  with  the  people  among  whom  they  lived,  they  did 
not  awaken  prejudices  by  the  assertion  of  superiority. 
Indeed,  it  was  seen  that  the  two  women  had  all  they 
could  do  to  earn  their  livelihood,  and  they  were  left  to  do 
this  in  peace. 

When  Alida  Armstrong— for  that  was  her  maiden 
name — carried  her  own  and  her  mother's  work  to  and 
from  the  shops,  she  often  encountered  admiring  glances. 
She  was  not  exactly  pretty,  but  she  had  the  good,  refined 
face  which  is  often  more  attractive  than  the  merely  pretty 
one,  and  she  possessed  a  trim,  rounded  figure  which  she 
knew  how  to  clothe  with  taste  from  the  simplest  and  most 
inexpensive  materials.  Nor  did  she  seek  to  dress  above 
her  station.  When  passing  along  the  street,  any  discern- 
ing person  would  recognize  that  she  was  a  w^orking  girl ; 
only  the  superficial  would  look  upon  her  as  a  common- 
place girl.  There  was  something  in  her  modest  air  and 
graceful,  elastic  carriage  which  suggested  the  thought  to 
many  observers,  "  She  has  seen  better  days." 

The  memory  of  these  days,  which  had  promised  immu- 
nity from  wearing  toil,  anxiety,  and  poverty,  was  a  barrier 
between  the  two  women  and  their  present  world.  Death 
had  bereft  them  of  husband  and  father,  and  such  property 
as  he  had  left  had  been  lost  in  a  bad  investment.  Learn- 
ing that  they  were  almost  penniless,  they  had  patiently 
set  about  earning  honest  bread.  This  they  had  succeeded 
in  doing  as  long  as  the  mother  kept  her  usual  health. 
But  the  infirmities  of  age  were  creeping  upon  her.  One 
winter  she  took  a  heavy  cold  and  was  very  ill.  She 
rallied  only  temporarily  in  the  milder  days  of  spring.  In 
the  summer's  heat  her  strength  failed,  and  she  died. 

During  her  mother's  long  illness  Alida  was  devotion 
itself.     The  strain  upon  her  was  severe  indeed,  for  she 


A   MARRIAGE?  55 

not  only  had  to  earn  food  for  both,  but  there  were  also 
doctor's  bills,  medicines,  and  delicacies  to  pay  for.  The 
poor  girl  grew  thin  from  work  by  day,  watching  by  night, 
and  from  fear  and  anxiety  at  all  times.  Their  scanty 
savings  were  exhausted  ;  articles  were  sold  from  their 
rooms  ;  the  few  precious  heirlooms  of  silver  and  china 
were  disposed  of;  Alida  even  denied  herself  the  food  she 
needed  rather  than  ask  for  help  or  permit  her  mother  to 
want  for  anything  which  ministered  to  their  vain  hopes 
of  renewed  health. 

What  she  should  have  done  she  scarcely  knew,  had  not 
an  unexpected  friend  interested  himself  in  her  behalf.  In 
one  of  the  men's  clothing  stores  was  a  cutter  from  whom 
she  obtained  work.  Soon  after  he  appeared  in  this  shop 
he  began  to  manifest  signs  of  interest  in  her.  He  was 
about  her  own  age,  he  had  a  good  trade,  and  she  often 
wondered  why  he  appeared  so  reticent  and  moody,  as 
compared  with  others  in  similar  positions.  But  he  always 
spoke  kindly  to  her,  and  when  her  mother's  illness  first 
developed,  he  showed  all  the  leniency  permitted  to  him 
in  regard  to  her  work.  His  apparent  sympathy,  and  the 
need  of  explaining  why  she  was  not  able  to  finish  her 
tasks  as  promptly  as  usual,  led  her  gradually  to  reveal  to 
him  the  sad  struggle  in  which  she  was  engaged.  He 
promised  to  intercede  in  her  behalf  with  their  mutual 
employers,  and  asked  if  he  might  come  to  see  her 
mother. 

Recognizing  how  dependent  she  was  upon  this  man's 
good  will,  and  seeing  nothing  in  his  conduct  but  kindness 
and  sympathy,  she  consented.  His  course  and  his  words 
confirmed  all  her  good  impressions  and  awakened  on  her 
side  corresponding  sympathy  united  with  a  lively  grati- 
tude,    He  told  her  that   he  also  was  a  stranger  in  the 


56        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

town,  that  he  had  but  few  acquaintances  and  no  fnends, 
that  he  had  lost  relatives  and  was  in  no  mood  to  go 
about  like  other  young-  men.  His  manner  was  marked 
apparently  by  nothing  more  than  interest  and  a  wish  to 
help  her,  and  was  untinged  by  gallantry  ;  so  they  gradu- 
ally became  good  friends.  When  he  called  Sunday 
afternoons  the  mother  looked  at  him  wistfully,  in  the  hope 
that  her  daughter  would  not  be  left  witiiout  a  protector. 
At  last  the  poor  woman  died,  and  Alida  was  in  sore  dis- 
tress, for  she  had  no  means  with  which  to  bury  her. 
Ostrom  came  and  said  in  the  kindest  tones : 

"You  must  let  me  lend  you  what  you  need  and  you' 
can  pay  me  back  with  interest,  if  you  wish.  You  won't 
be  under  any  obligation,  for  I  have  money  lying  idle  in 
the  bank.  When  you  have  only  yourself  to  support  it 
will  not  take  you  long  to  earn  the  sum." 

There  seemed  nothing  else  for  her  to  do  and  so  it  was 
arranged.  With  tear-blinded  eyes  she  made  her  simple 
mourning,  and  within  a  week  after  her  mother's  death 
was  at  work  again,  eager  to  repay  her  debt.  He  urged 
her  not  to  hasten — to  take  all  the  rest  she  could  while  the 
hot  weather  lasted,  and  few  evenings  passed  that  he  did 
not  come  to  take  her  out  for  a  walk  through  the  quieter 
streets. 

By  this  time  he  had  won  her  confidence  completely, 
and  her  heart  overflowed  with  gratitude.  Of  course  she 
was  not  so  unsophisticated  as  not  to  know  whither  all 
this  attention  was  tending,  but  it  was  a  great  relief  to  her 
mind  that  his  courtship  was  so  quiet  and  undemonstra- 
tive. Her  heart  was  sore  and  grief-stricken,  and  she  was 
not  conscious  of  any  other  feeling  toward  him  than  the 
deepest  gratitude  and  wish  to  make  such  return  as  was 
within    her   power.     He   was   apparently  very  frank    in 


A   MARRIAGE?  S7 

regard  to  his  past  life,  and  nothing  was  said  which 
excited  her  suspicions.  Indeed,  she  felt  that  it  would  be 
disloyalty  to  think  of  questioning  or  surmising  evil  of  one 
who  had  proved  himself  so  true  a  friend  in  her  sore  need. 
She  was  therefore  somewhat  prepared  for  the  words  he 
spoke  one  warm  September  day,  as  they  sat  together  in  a 
little  shaded  park. 

"  Alida,"  he  said,  a  little  nervously,  "  we  are  both 
strangers  and  alone  in  this  world,  but  surely  we  are  no 
longer  strangers  to  each  other.  Let  us  go  quietly  to 
some  minister  and  be  married.  That  is  the  best  way  for 
you  to  pay  your  debt  and  keep  me  always  in  debt  to 
you." 

She  was  silent  a  moment,  then  faltered,  "  I'd  rather  pay 
all  my  debt  first." 

"  What  debts  can  there  be  between  husband  and  wife? 
Come  now,  let  us  look  at  the  matter  sensibly.  I  don't 
want  to  frighten  you.  Things  will  go  on  much  the  same. 
We  can  take  quiet  rooms,  I  will  bring  work  to  you 
instead  of  your  having  to  go  after  it.  It's  nobody's  busi- 
ness but  our  own.  We've  not  a  circle  of  relations  to  con- 
sult or  invite.  We  can  go  to  some  parsonage,  the 
minister's  family  will  be  the  witnesses  ;  then  I'll  leave  vou 
at  your  room  as  usual,  and  no  one  will  be  any  the  wiser 
till  I've  found  a  place  where  we  can  go  to  housekeej)uig. 
That  won't  be  long,  I  can  tell  you." 

He  placed  the  matter  in  such  a  simple,  natural  light 
that  she  did  not  know  how  to  refuse. 

"  Perhaps  I  do  not  love  you  as  much  as  you  ought  to 
be  loved,  and  deserve  to  be  in  view  of  all  your  kindness," 
she  tried  to  explain.  "  I  feel  I  ought  to  be  very  truthful 
and  not  deceive  you  in  the  least,  as  I  know  you  would  not 
deceive  me."     So   strong  a  shiver  passed   through    his 


58       HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE. 

frame  that  she  exclaimed,  *'  You  are  taking  cold  or  you 
don't  feel  well." 

"Oh,  it's  nothing!"  he  said  hastily,  "  only  the  night 
air ;  and  then  a  fellow  always  feels  a  little  nervous,  I  sup- 
pose, when  he's  asking  for  something  on  which  his  happi- 
ness depends.  I'm  satisfied  with  such  feeling  and 
good  will  as  you  have  for  me,  and  will  be  only  too  glad  to 
get  you  just  as  you  are.  Come,  before  it  is  too  late  in 
the  evening." 

"  Is  your  heart  bent  on  this,  after  what  I  have  said, 
Wilson .'' " 

"  Yes,  yes,  indeed  ! "  clasping  her  hand  and  drawing  her 
to  her  feet. 

"  It  would  seem  very  ungrateful  in  me  to  refuse,  after 
all  you  have  done  for  me  and  mother,  if  you  think  it's 
right  and  best.  Will  you  go  to  the  minister  whose 
church  I  attended,  and  who  came  to  see  mother.^  " 

"  Certainly,  anyone  you  like,"  and  he  put  her  hand  on 
his  arm  and  led  her  away. 

The  clergyman  listened  sympathetically  to  her  brief 
history  of  Ostrom's  kindness,  then  performed  a  simple 
ceremony  which  his  wife  and  daughters  witnessed.  As 
they  were  about  to  depart  he  said,  "  I  will  send  you  a 
certificate." 

"  Don't  trouble  yourself  to  do  that,"  said  the  groom. 
*'  I'll  call  for  it  some  evening  soon." 

Never  had  she  seen  Ostrom  in  such  gay  spirits  as  on 
their  return  ;  and,  woman-like,  she  was  happy  chiefly 
because  she  had  made  him  happy.  She  also  felt  a  glad 
sense  of  security.  Her  mother's  dying  wish  had  been 
fulfilled  J  she  had  now  a  protector,  and  would  soon  have 
a  home  instead  of  a  boarding  place  among  strangers. 

Her  husband  speedily  found  the  rooms  to  which  the 


A   MARRIAGE?  59 

reader  has  been  introduced.  The  street  on  which  they 
were  located  was  no  thoroughfare.  Its  farther  end  was 
closed  by  a  fence  and  beyond  were  fields.  With  the 
exception  of  those  who  dwelt  upon  it  or  had  business 
with  the  residents,  few  people  came  thither.  To  this 
locality,  Ostrom  brought  his  bride,  and  selected  rooms 
whose  windows  were  above  those  of  the  surrounding 
houses.  So  far  from  regretting  this  isolation  and  remote- 
ness from  the  central  life  of  the  town,  Alida's  feelings 
sanctioned  his  choice.  The  sense  of  possessing  security 
and  a  refuge  was  increased,  and  it  was  as  natural  for  her 
to  set  about  making  the  rooms  homelike  as  it  was  to 
breathe.  Her  husband  appeared  to  have  exhausted  his 
tendencies  toward  close  economy  in  the  choice  of  apart- 
ments, and  she  was  given  more  money  than  she  desired 
with  which  to  furnish  and  decorate.  He  said,  "Fix 
everything  up  to  suit  your  mind,  and  I'll  be  satisfied." 

This  she  did  with  such  skill,  taste,  and  good  manage- 
ment that  she  returned  a  large  portion  of  the  sum  he  had 
given  her,  whereupon  he  laughingly  remarked  that  she 
had  already  saved  more  than  she  owed  him.  He  seemed 
disinclined  to  accompany  her  in  the  selection  of  their 
simple  outfit,  but  professed  himself  so  pleased  with  her 
choice  of  everything  that  she  was  gratified  and  happy  in 
the  thought  of  relieving  him  from  trouble. 

Thus  their  married  life  began  under  what  appeared  to 
her  the  most  promising  and  congenial  circumstances. 
She  soon  insisted  on  having  work  again,  and  her  busy 
fingers  did  much  to  increase  his  income. 

Alida  was  not  an  exacting  woman,  and  recognized  from 
the  beginning  that  her  husband  would  naturally  have 
peculiar  ways  of  his  own.  Unlike  Mrs.  Mumpson,  she 
never   expatiated    on    "  adaptation,"    but    Ostrom    soon 


6o        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

learned,  with  much  inward  rehef,  that  his  wife  would 
accept  unquestioningly  what  appeared  to  be  his  habits 
and  preferences.  He  went  early  to  his  place  of  work, 
taking  the  nice  little  lunch  which  she  prepared,  and 
returned  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening  when  he  always 
found  a  warm  dinner  in  readiness.  After  this  he  was 
ready  enough  to  walk  with  her,  but,  as  before,  chose  the 
least  frequented  streets.  Places  of  amusement  and  resort 
seemed  distasteful.  On  Sundays  he  enjoyed  a  ramble  in 
the  country  as  long  as  the  season  permitted,  and  then 
showed  a  great  disinclination  to  leave  the  fireside.  For 
a  time  he  went  with  her  in  the  evening  to  church,  but 
gradually  persuaded  her  to  remain  at  home  and  read  or 
talk  to  him. 

His  wife  felt  that  she  had  little  cause  to  complain  of  his 
quiet  ways  and  methodical  habits.  He  had  exhibited 
them  before  marriage  and  they  were  conducive  to  her 
absolute  sense  of  proprietorship  in  him — an  assurance  so 
dear  to  a  woman's  heart.  The  pleasures  of  his  home  and 
her  society  appeared  to  be  all  that  he  craved.  At  times  she 
had  wondered  a  little  at  a  certain  air  of  apprehensiveness 
in  his  manner  when  steps  were  heard  upon  the  stairs,  but 
as  the  quiet  days  and  weeks  passed,  such  manifestations 
of  nervousness  ceased.  Occasionally,  he  would  start 
violently  and  mutter  strange  words  in  his  sleep,  but  noth- 
ing disturbed  the  growing  sense  of  security  and  satisfac- 
tion in  Alida's  heart.  The  charm  of  a  regular,  quiet  life 
grows  upon  one  who  has  a  nature  fitted  for  it,  and  this 
was  true  to  an  unusual  degree  of  Alida  Ostrom.  Her 
content  was  also  increased  by  the  fact  that  her  husband 
was  able  each  month  to  deposit  a  goodly  portion  of  their 
united  earnings  in  a  savings  bank. 

Every  day,  every  week,  was  so  like  the  preceding  ones 


A   MARRIAGE?  6 1 

that  it  seemed  as  if  their  happy  life  might  go  on  forever. 
She  was  gladly  conscious  that  there  was  more  than 
gratitude  and  good  will  in  her  heart.  She  now  cherished 
a  deep  affection  for  her  husband  and  felt  that  he  had 
become  essential  to  her  life. 

"  Oh,  how  happy  mother  would  be  if  she  knew  how 
safe  and  protected  I  am  ! "  she  murmured  one  March 
evening,  as  she  was  preparing  her  husband's  dinner. 
"  Leaving  me  alone  in  the  world  was  far  worse  to  her 
than  dying." 

At  that  very  moment  a  gaunt-looking  woman,  with  a 
child  in  her  arms,  stood  in  the  twilight  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  street,  looking  up  at  the  windows. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

FROM   HOME  TO   THE  STREET. 

As  the  shadows  of  the  gloomy  March  evening  deep- 
ened Ahda  hghted  the  lamp,  and  was  then  a  little  sur- 
prised to  hear  a  knock  at  the  door.  No  presentiment  of 
trouble  crossed  her  mind  ;  she  merely  thought  that  one 
of  her  neighbors  on  the  lower  floors  had  stepped  up  to 
borrow  something. 

"  Come  in  ! "  she  cried,  as  she  adjusted  the  shade  of  the 
lamp. 

A  tall,  thin,  pale  woman  entered,  carr}'ing  a  child  that 
was  partly  hidden  by  a  thin  shawl,  their  only  outer  protec- 
tion against  the  chill  winds  which  had  been  blustering  all 
day.  Alida  looked  at  the  stranger  inquiringly  and  kindly, 
expecting  an  appeal  for  charity.  The  woman  sank  into 
a  chair  as  if  exhausted,  and  fixed  her  dark  hollow  eyes 
on  Mrs.  Ostrom.  She  appeared  consumed  by  a  terrible 
curiosity. 

Alida  wondered  at  the  strange  chill  of  apprehension 
with  which  she  encountered  this  gaze.  It  was  so  intent, 
so  searching,  yet  so  utterly  devoid  of  a  trace  of  good  will. 
She  began  gently,  "  Can  I  do  anything  for  you  .''  " 

For  a  moment  or  two  longer  there  was  no  response 
other  than  the  same  cold,  questioning  scrutiny,  as  if, 
instead  of  a  sweet-faced  woman,  something  monstrously 
unnatural  was  present.  At  last,  in  slow,  icy  utterance, 
came  the  words,  "  So  you  are — her!  " 


FROM  HOME    TO    THE   STREET.  (>l 

"  Is  this  woman  insane?  "  thought  AHda.  "  Why  else 
does  she  look  at  me  so  ?  Oh,  that  Wilson  would  come! 
I'm  sorry  for  you,  my  good  woman,"  she  began  kindly. 
"  You  are  laboring  under  some  mistake.  My  hus- 
band  " 

"  Your  husband  ! "  exclaimed  the  stranger,  with  an 
indescribable  accent  of  scorn  and  reproach. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Alida  with  quiet  dignity.  "  My  husband 
will  be  home  soon  and  he  will  protect  me.  You  have  no 
right  to  enter  my  rooms  and  act  as  you  do.  If  you  are 
sick  and  in  trouble,  I  and  my  husband " 

"  Please  tell  me,  miss,  how  he  became  j^/^r  husband  ?  " 

"  By  lawful  marriage,  by  my  pastor." 

"We'll  soon  see  how  lawful  it  was,"  replied  the 
woman,  with  a  bitter  laugh.  "  I'd  like  you  to  tell  me 
how  often  a  man  can  be  married  lawfully." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  cried  Alida,  with  a  sudden 
flash  in  her  blue  eyes.  Then,  as  if  reproaching  herself, 
she  added  kindly,  "  Pardon  me.  I  see  you  are  not  well. 
You  do  not  realize  what  you  are  saying  or  where  you  are. 
Take  a  seat  nearer  the  tire,  and  when  Mr.  Ostrom  comes 
from  his  work  he'll  take  you  to  your  friends." 

All  the  while  she  was  speaking  the  woman  regarded 
her  with  a  hard,  stony  gaze  ;  then  replied,  coldly  and 
decisively,  "  You  are  wrong,  miss  " — how  that  title  grated 
on  Alida's  ears  ! — "  I  am  neither  insane  nor  drunk.  I  do 
know  what  I  am  saying  and  where  I  am.  You  are  play- 
ing a  bold  game  or  else  you  have  been  deceived,  and  very 
easily  deceived,  too.  They  say  some  women  are  so  eager 
to  be  married  that  they  ask  no  questions,  but  jump  at 
the  first  chance.  Whether  deceived  or  deceiving,  it 
doesn't  matter  now.  But  you  and  he  shall  learn  that 
there  is  a  law  in  the  land  which  will  protect  an  honest 


64        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

woman  in  her  sacred  rights.  You  needn't  look  so  shocked 
and  bewildered.  You  are  not  a  young,  giddy  girl  if  I 
may  judge  from  your  face.  What  else  could  you  expect 
when  you  took  up  with  a  stranger  you  knew  nothing 
about?  Do  you  know  that  likeness?"  and  she  drew 
from  her  bosom  a  daguerreotype. 

Alida  waved  it  away  as  she  said  indignantly,  "  I  won't 
believe  ill  of  my  husband.     I " 

"  No,  miss,"  interrupted  the  woman  sternly,  "  you  are 
right  for  once.  You  won't  indeed  believe  ill  of  ^<?«r  hus- 
band, but  you'll  have  to  believe  ill  of  mine.  There's  no 
use  of  your  putting  on  such  airs  any  longer..  No  matter 
how  rash  and  silly  you  may  have  been,  if  you  have  a 
spark  of  honesty  you'll  be  open  to  proof.  If  you  and  he 
try  to  brazen  it  out,  the  law  will  open  both  your  eyes. 
Look  at  that  likeness,  look  at  these  letters ;  and  I  have 
other  proof  and  witnesses  which  can't  be  disputed.  The 
name  of  the  man  you  are  living  with  is  not  Wilson 
Ostrom,       His   name   is   Henry  Ferguson.     I  am  Mrs. 

Ferguson,  and  I  have  my  marriage  certificate,  and 

What !  are  you  going  to  faint  ?  Well,  I  can  wait  till  you 
recover  and  till  /^<?  comes,"  and  she  coolly  sat  down  again. 

Alida  had  glanced  at  the  proofs  which  the  woman  had 
thrust  into  her  hands,  then  staggered  back  to  a  lounge 
that  stood  near.  She  might  have  fainted,  but  at  that 
awful  moment  she  heard  a  familiar  step  on  the  stairs. 
She  was  facing  the  door;  the  terrible  stranger  sat  at  one 
side,  with  her  back  toward  it. 

When  Ostrom  entered  he  first  saw  Alida  looking  pale 
and  ill.  He  hastened  toward  her  exclaiming,  "  Why,  Lida, 
dear,  what  is  the  matter?     You  are  sick  !  " 

Instinctively  she  sprung  to  his  arms,  crying,  "  Oh,  thank 
God  !  you've  come.     Take  away  this  awful  woman  !  " 


FROM  HOME    TO    THE   STREET.  65 

"  Yes,  Henry  Ferguson  ;  it's  very  proper  you  should 
take  me  away  from  a  place  like  this." 

As  the  man  who  had  called  himself  Wilson  Ostrom 
heard  that  voice  he  trembled  like  an  aspen ;  his  clasp  of 
Alida  relaxed,  his  arms  dropped  to  his  side,  and,  as  he 
sunk  into  a  chair  and  covered  his  face  with  his  hands,  he 
groaned,  "  Lost !  " 

"  Found  out,  you  mean,"  was  the  woman's  reply. 

Step  by  step,  with  horror-stricken  eyes,  Alida  retreated 
from  the  man  to  whose  protection  and  embrace  she  had 
flown.     "  Then  it's  true  ?  "  she  said  in  a  hoarse  whisper. 

He  was  speechless. 

"  You  are  willfully  blind  now,  miss,  if  you  don't  see 
it's  true,"  was  the  stranger's  biting  comment. 

Paying  no  heed  to  her,  Alida's  eyes  rested  on  the  man 
whom  she  had  believed  to  be  her  husband.  She  took 
an  irresolute  step  toward  him.  "  Speak,  Wilson  !  "  she 
cried.  "  I  gave  you  my  whole  faith  and  no  one  shall 
destroy  it  but  yourself.  Speak,  explain !  show  me  that 
there's  some  horrible  mistake." 

"  Lida,"  said  the  man,  lifting  his  bloodless  face,  "  if 
you  knew  all  the  circumstances " 

"  She  shall  know  them  !  "  half  shrieked  the  woman,  as 
if  at  last  stung  to  fury.  "  I  see  that  you  both  hope  to 
get  through  this  affair  with  a  little  high  tragedy,  then 
escape  and  come  together  again  in  some  other  hiding 
place.  As  for  this  creature,  she  can  go  where  she 
pleases,  after  hearing  the  truth  ;  but  you,  Henry  Fergu- 
son, have  got  to  do  your  duty  by  me  and  your  child  or 
go  to  prison.  Let  me  tell  you,  miss,  that  this  man  was 
also  married  to  me  by  a  minister.  I  have  my  certificate 
and  can  produce  witnesses.  There's  one  little  point 
vou'll   do   well    to   consider,"   she   continued,   in    bitter 


66        HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

sarcasm,  "  he  married  me  first.  I  suppose  you  are  not 
so  young  and  innocent  as  not  to  know  wliere  this  fact 
places  yoii.  He  courted  and  won  me  as  other  girls  are 
courted  and  married.  He  promised  me  all  that  he  ever 
promised  you.  Then,  when  I  lost  my  rosy  cheeks — 
when  I  became  sick  and  feeble  from  child-bearing — he 
deserted  and  left  me  almost  penniless.  You  needn't  think 
you  will  have  to  take  my  word  for  this.  I  have  proof 
enough.  And  now,  Henry  Ferguson,  I've  a  few  words 
for  you,  and  then  you  must  take  your  choice.  You  can't 
escape.  I  and  my  brother  have  tracked  you  here.  You 
can't  leave  these  rooms  without  going  to  prison.  You'd 
be  taken  at  the  very  door.  But  I  give  you  one  more 
chance.  If  you  will  promise  before  God  to  do  your  duty 
by  me  and  your  child,  I'll  forgive  as  far  as  a  wronged 
woman  can  forgive.  Neither  I  nor  my  brother  will  take 
proceedings  against  you.  What  this  w-oman  will  do  I 
don't  know.  If  she  prosecutes  you,  and  you  are  true  to 
me,  I'll  stand  by  you,  but  I  won't  stand  another  false 
step  or  a  false  word  from  you." 

Ferguson  had  again  sunk  into  his  chair,  buried  his 
face  in  his  hands,  and  sat  trembling  and  speechless. 
Never  for  an  instant  had  Alida  taken  her  eyes  from  him  ; 
and  now,  with  a  long,  wailing  cr)%  she  exclaimed,  "  Thank 
God,  thank  God  !  mother's  dead." 

This  was  now  her  best  consolation.  She  rushed  into 
her  bedchamber,  and  a  moment  later  came  out,  wearing 
her  hat  and  cloak.  Ferguson  started  up  and  was  about 
to  speak,  but  she  silenced  him  by  a  gesture,  and  her 
tones  were  sad  and  stern  as  she  said,  "Mr.  Ferguson, 
from  your  manner  more  truly  than  from  this  woman,  I 
learn  the  truth.  You  took  advantage  of  my  misfortunes, 
my  sorrow  and  friendlessness,  to  deceive  me.     You  know 


FROM  HOME    TO    THE   STREET,  67 

how  false  are  your  wife's  words  about  my  eagerness  to 
be  deceived  and  married.  But  you  have  nothing  to  fear 
from  me.  I  shall  not  prosecute  you  as  she  suggests, 
and  I  charge  you  before  God  to  do  your  duty  by  your 
wife  and  child  and  never  to  speak  to  me  again."  Turn- 
ing, she  hastened  toward  the  door. 

"Where  are  you  going?"  Ferguson  exclaimed,  seek- 
ing to  intercept  her. 

She  waved  him  off.  "  I  don't  know,"  she  replied. 
*'  I've  no  right  to  be  here,"  and  she  fled  down  the  stair- 
way and  out  into  the  darkness. 

The  child  had  not  wakened.  It  was  well  that  it  had 
not  looked  upon  such  a  scene,  even  in  utter  ignorance  of 
its  meaning. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

holcroft's  -view  of  matrimony, 

HOLCROFT  was  indeed  very  lonely  as  he  drove 
through  the  bare  March  fields  and  leafless  woods  on  his 
way  to  town.  The  sky  had  clouded  again,  like  his  pros- 
pects, and  he  had  the  dreary  sense  of  desolation  which 
overwhelms  a  quiet,  domestic  man  w^ho  feels  that  his 
home  and  all  to  which  he  clings  are  slipping  from  him. 
His  lot  was  hard  enough  at  best,  and  he  had  a  bitter 
sense  of  being  imposed  upon  and  wronged  by  Lemuel 
Weeks.  It  was  now  evident  enough  that  the  widow  and 
her  daughter  had  been  an  intolerable  burden  to  his 
neighbor,  who  had  taken  advantage  of  his  need  and 
induced  him  to  assume  the  burden  through  false  repre- 
sentations. To  a  man  of  Holcroft's  simple,  straight- 
forward nature,  any  phase  of  trickery  was  intensely 
repugnant,  and  the  fact  that  he  had  been  overreached  in 
a  matter  relating  to  his  dearest  hopes  galled  him  to  the 
quick.  He  possessed  the  strong  common  sense  of  his 
class  ;  his  wife  had  been  like  him  in  this  respect,  and  her 
influence  had  intensified  the  trait.  Queer  people  with 
abnormal  manners  excited  his  intense  aversion.  The 
most  charitable  view  that  he  could  take  of  Mrs.  Mump- 
son  was  that  her  mind— such  as  she  had — was  unbal- 
anced, that  it  was  an  impossibility  for  her  to  see  any 
subject  or  duty  in  a  sensible  light  or  its  right  propor- 


HOLCROFT'S    VIEW  OF  MATRIMONY.        69 

tions.  Her  course,  so  prejudicial  to  her  own  interests, 
and  her  incessant  and  stilted  talk,  were  proof  to  his 
inind  of  a  certain  degree  of  insanity,  and  he  had  heard 
that  people  in  this  condition  often  united  to  their  un- 
natural ways  a  wonderful  degree  of  cunning.  Her  child 
was  almost  as  uncanny  as  herself  and  gave  him  a  shiver- 
ing sense  of  discomfort  whenever  he  caught  her  small, 
greenish  eyes  fixed  upon  him. 

"  Yet  she'll  be  the  only  one  who'll  earn  her  salt.  I 
don't  see  how  I'm  going  to  stand  'em — I  don't,  indeed, 
but  suppose  I'll  have  to  for  three  months,  or  else  sell  out 
and  clear  out." 

By  the  time  he  reached  town  a  cold  rain  had  set  in. 
He  went  at  once  to  the  intelligence  office,  but  could 
obtain  no  girl  for  Mrs.  Mumpson  to  "  superintend,"  nor 
any  certain  promise  of  one.  He  did  not  much  care,  for 
he  felt  that  the  new  plan  was  not  going  to  work.  Having 
bartered  all  his  eggs  for  groceries,  he  sold  the  old  stove 
and  bought  a  new  one,  then  drew  from  the  bank  a  little 
ready  money.  Since  his  butter  was  so  inferior,  he  took 
it  to  his  friend  Tom  Watterly,  the  keeper  of  the  poor- 
house. 

Prosperous  Tom  slapped  his  old  friend  on  the  back 
and  said,  "You  look  awfully  glum  and  chopfallen,  Jim. 
Come  now,  don't  look  at  the  world  as  if  it  was  made  of 
tar,  pitch,  and  turpentine.  I  know  your  luck's  been  hard, 
but  you  make  it  a  sight  harder  by  being  so  set  in  all  your 
ways.  You  think  there's  no  place  to  live  on  God's  earth 
but  that  old  up-and-down-hill  farm  of  yours  that  I 
wouldn't  take  as  a  gift.  Why,  man  alive,  there's  a  dozen 
things  you  can  turn  your  hand  to ;  but  if  you  will  stay 
there,  do  as  other  men  do.  Pick  out  a  smart,  handy 
woman  that  can  make  butter  yaller  as  gold,  that  '11  bring 


70        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

gold,  and  not  such  limpsy-slimsy,  ghostly-looking  stuff  as 
you've  brought  me.  Bein'  it's  you,  I'll  take  it  and  give 
as  much  for  it  as  I'd  pay  for  better,  but  you  can't  rur 
your  old  ranch  in  this  fashion." 

"  I  know  it,  Tom,"  repHed  Holcroft  ruefully.  "  I'm 
all  at  sea;  but,  as  you  say,  I'm  set  in  my  ways,  and  I'd 
rather  live  on  bread  and  milk  and  keep  my  farm  than 
make  money  anywhere  else.  I  guess  I'll  have  to  give  it 
all  up,  though,  and  pull  out,  but  it's  like  rooting  up  one 
of  the  old  oaks  in  the  meadow  lot.  The  fact  is,  Tom, 
I've  been  fooled  into  one  of  the  worst  scrapes  I've  got 
into  yet." 

"I  see  how  it  is,"  said  Tom  heartily  and  compla- 
cently, "  you  want  a  practical,  foresighted  man  to  talk 
straight  at  you  for  an  hour  or  two  and  clear  up  the  fog 
you're  in.  You  study  and  brood  over  little  things  out 
there  alone  until  they  seem  mountains  v.hich  you  can't 
get  over  nohow,  when,  if  you'd  take  one  good  jump  out^ 
they'd  be  behind  you.  Now,  you've  got  to  stay  and  take 
a  bite  with  me,  and  then  we'll  light  our  pipes  and 
untangle  this  snarl.  No  backing  out !  I  can  do  you 
more  good  than  all  the  preachin'  you  ever  heard.  Hey, 
there,  Bill !  "  shouting  to  one  of  the  paupers  who  was 
detailed  for  such  work,  "  take  this  team  to  the  barn  and 
feed  'em.  Come  in,  come  in,  old  feller!  You'll  find  that 
Tom  Watterly  alius  has  a  snack  and  a  good  word  for  an 
old  crony." 

Holcroft  was  easily  persuaded,  for  he  felt  the  need  of 
cheer,  and  he  looked  up  to  Tom  as  a  very  sagacious, 
practical  man.  So  he  said,  "  Perhaps  you  can  see  farther 
into  a  millstone  than  I  can,  and  if  you  can  show  me  a 
way  out  of  my  difficulties  you'll  be  a  friend  sure  enough." 

"  Why,  of  course  I  can.     Your  difficulties  are  all  here 


HOLCROFTS    VIEW  OF  MATRIMONY.        7 1 

and  here,"  touching  his  bullet  head  and  the  region  of  his 
heart.  "  There  aint  no  great  difficulties  in  fact,  but, 
after  you've  brooded  out  there  a  week  or  two  alone,  you 
think  you're  caught  as  fast  as  if  you  were  in  a  bear-trap. 
Here,  Angy,"  addressing  his  wife,  "  I've  coaxed  Holcroft 
to  take  supper  with  us.  You  can  hurry  it  up  a  little, 
can't  you  ?  " 

Mrs.  Watterly  gave  their  guest  a  cold,  limp  hand  and 
a  rather  frigid  welcome.  But  this  did  not  disconcert 
him.  "  It's  only  her  way,"  he  had  always  thought. 
•"  She  looks  after  her  husband's  interests  as  mine  did  for 
me,  and  she  don't  talk  him  to  death." 

This  thought,  in  the  main,  summed  up  Mrs.  Watterly's 
best  traits.  She  was  a  commonplace,  narrow,  selfish 
woman,  whose  character  is  not  worth  sketching.  Tom 
stood  a  little  in  fear  of  her,  and  was  usually  careful 
not  to  impose  extra  tasks,  but  since  she  helped  him 
to  save  and  get  ahead,  he  regarded  her  as  a  model 
M'ife, 

Holcroft  shared  in  his  opinion  and  sighed  deeply  as  he 
sat  down  to  supper.  "  Ah,  Tom  !  "  he  said,  "  you're  a 
Jucky  man.  You've  got  a  wife  that  keeps  everything  in- 
<loors  up  to  the  mark,  and  gives  you  a  chance  to  attend 
to  your  own  proper  business.  That's  the  way  it  was 
•with  mine.  I  never  knew  what  a  lopsided,  helpless 
•creature  a  man  was  until  I  was  left  alone.  You  and 
I  were  lucky  in  getting  the  women  we  did,  but  when  my 
partner  left  me,  she  took  all  the  luck  with  her.  That 
aint  the  worst.  She  took  what's  more  than  luck  and 
■money  and  everything.  I  seemed  to  lose  with  her  my 
grit  and  interest  in  most  things.  It  '11  seem  foolishness 
to  you,  but  I  can't  take  comfort  in  anything  much  except 
working  that  old  farm  that  I've  worked  and  played  on 


72        HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE. 

ever  since  I  can  remember  anything.  You're  not  one 
of  those  fools,  Tom,  tiiat  have  to  learn  from  their  ov^^n 
experience.  Take  a  bit  from  mine,  and  be  good  to 
your  wife  while  you  can.  I'd  give  all  I'm  worth — I 
know  that  aint  much — if  I  could  say  some  things  to  my 
wife  and  do  some  things  for  her  that  I  didn't  do." 

Holcroft  spoke  in  the  simplicity  of  a  full  and  remorseful 
heart,  but  he  unconsciously  propitiated  Mrs.  Watterly  in 
no  small  degree.  Indeed,  she  felt  that  he  had  quite 
repaid  her  for  his  entertainment,  and  the  usually  taciturri 
woman  seconded  his  remarks  with  much  emphasis. 

''Well  now,  Angy,"  said  Tom,  "if  you  averaged  up 
husbands  in  these  parts  I  guess  you'd  find  you  were  far- 
ing rather  better  than  most  v.om  en -folks.  I  let  you  take 
the  bit  in  your  teeth  and  go  .your  own  jog  mostly.  Now, 
own  up,  don't  I  }  " 

"That  wasn't  my  meaning,  exactly,  Tom,"  resumed 
Holcroft.  "  You  and  I  could  well  afford  to  let  our  wives 
take  their  own  jog,  for  they  always  jogged  steady  and 
faithful  and  didn't  need  any  urging  and  guiding.  But 
even  a  dumb  critter  likes  a  good  word  now  and  then  and 
a  little  patting  on  the  back.  It  doesn't  cost  us  anything 
and  does  them  a  sight  of  good.  But  we  kind  of  let  the 
chances  slip  by  and  forget  about  it  until  like  enough  it's 
too  late." 

"Well."  replied  Tom,  with  a  deprecatory  look  at  his 
wife,  "Angy  don't  take  to  pettin'  very  much.  She 
thinks  it's  a  kind  of  foolishness  for  such  middle-aged 
people  as  we're  getting  to  be." 

"  A  husband  can  show  his  consideration  without 
blarneying,"  remarked  Mrs.  Watterly  coldly.  "  Wheri 
a  man  takes  on  in  that  way,  you  may  be  sure  he  wants 
something  extra  to  pay  for  it." 


HOLCROFT'S    VIEW  OF  MATRIMONY.        73 

After  a  little  thought  Holcroft  said,  "  I  guess  it's  a 
good  way  to  pay  for  it  between  husband  and  wife." 

"  Look  here,  Jim,  since  you're  so  well  up  on  the 
matrimonial  question,  why  in  thunder  don't  you  marry 
again  ?  That  would  settle  all  your  difflculties,"  and  Tom 
looked  at  his  friend  with  a  sort  of  wonder  that  he  should 
hesitate  to  take  this  practical,  sensible  course. 

"  It's  very  easy  for  you  tt)  say,  '  Why  don't  you 
marry  again  }  '  If  you  were  in  my  place  you'd  see  that 
there  are  things  in  the  way  of  marrying  for  the  sake  of 
having  a  good  butter-maker  and  all  that  kind  of  thing." 

"  Mr.  Watterly  wouldn't  be  long  in  comforting  him- 
self," remarked  his  wife.  "  His  advice  to  you  makes  the 
course  he'd  take  mighty  clear." 

"  Now,  Angy  !  "  said  Tom  reproachfully.  "  Well,"  he 
added  with  a  grin,  "  you're  forewarned.  So  you've  only 
to  take  care  of  yourself  and  not  give  me  a  chance." 

"  The  trouble  is,"  Holcroft  resumed,  "  I  don't  see  how 
an  honest  man  is  going  to  comfort  himself  unless  it  all 
comes  about  in  some  natural  sort  of  way.  I  suppose 
there  are  people  who  can  marry  over  and  over  again,  just 
as  easy  as  they'd  roll  off  a  log.  It  aint  for  me  to  judge 
'em,  and  I  don't  understand  how  they  do  it.  You  are  a 
very  practical  man,  Tom,  but  just  you  put  yourself  in  my 
shoes  and  see  what  you'd  do.  In  the  first  place,  I  don't 
know  of  a  woman  in  the  world  that  I'd  think  of  marrying. 
That's  saying  nothing  against  the  women, — there's  lots 
too  good  for  me, — but  I  don't  know  'em  and  I  can't  go 
around  and  hunt  'em  up.  Even  if  I  could,  with  my  shy, 
awkward  ways,  I  wouldn't  feel  half  so  nervous  starting 
out  on  a  bear  hunt.  Here's  difficulty  right  at  the  begin- 
ning. Supposing  I  found  a  nice,  sensible  woman,  such 
as  I'd  be  willing  to  marry,  there  isn't  one  chance  in  a 


74       HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

hundred  she'd  look  at  an  old  fellow  like  me.  Another 
difficulty  :  Supposing  she  would  ;  suppose  she  looked  me 
square  in  the  eyes  and  said,  '  So  you  truly  want  a  wife  ?  ' 
what  in  thunder  would  I  say  then  ?  I  don't  want  a  wife, 
I  want  a  housekeeper,  a  butter-maker,  one  that  would 
look  after  my  interests  as  if  they  were  her  own  ;  and  if  I 
could  hire  a  woman  that  would  do  what  I  wish,  I'd  never 
think  of  marrying.  I  can't  tell  a  woman  that  I  love  her 
when  I  don't.  If  I  went  to  a  minister  with  a  woman  I'd 
be  deceiving  him,  and  deceiving  her,  and  perjuring  myself 
promiscuously.  I  married  once  according  to  law  and 
gospel  and  I  was  married  through  and  through,  and  I 
can't  do  the  thing  over  again  in  any  way  that  would  seem 
to  me  like  marrjung  at  all.  The  idea  of  me  sitting  by 
the  fire  and  wishing  that  the  woman  who  sat  on  the 
t'other  side  of  the  stove  was  my  first  wife  !  Yet  I  couldn't 
help  doing  this  any  more  than  breathing.  Even  if  there 
was  any  chance  of  my  succeeding  I  can't  see  anything 
square  or  honest  in  my  going  out  and  hunting  up  a  wife 
as  a  mere  matter  of  business.  I  know  other  people  do  it 
and  I've  thought  a  good  deal  about  it  myself,  but  when 
it  comes  to  the  point  of  acting  I  find  I  can't  do  it." 

The  two  men  now  withdrew  from  the  table  to  the  fire- 
side  and  lighted  their  pipes.  Mrs.  Watterly  stepped  out 
for  a  moment  and  Tom,  looking  over  his  shoulder  to  make 
sure  she  was  out  of  ear-shot,  said  under  his  breath,  "  But 
suppose  you  found  a  woman  that  you  could  love  and 
obey,  and  all  that  ?  " 

"  Oh,  of  course,  that  would  make  everything  different. 
I  wouldn't  begin  with  a  lie  then,  and  I  know  enough  of 
my  wife  to  feel  sure  that  she  wouldn't  be  a  sort  of  dog  in 
the  manger  after  she  was  dead.  She  was  one  of  those 
50od  souls  that  if  she  could  speak  her  mind  this  minute 


HOLCROFT'S    VIEW  OF  MATRIMONY,        75 

she  would  say,  '  James,  what's  best  and  right  for  you  is 
best  and  right.'  But  it's  just  because  she  was  such  a 
good  wife  that  I  know  there's  no  use  of  trying  to  put  any- 
one in  her  place.  Where  on  earth  could  I  find  anybody, 
and  how  could  we  get  acquainted  so  that  we'd  know 
anything  about  each  other }  No,  I  must  just  scratch 
along  for  a  short  time  as  things  are  and  be  on  the  look- 
out to  sell  or  rent." 

Tom  smoked  meditatively  for  a  few  moments,  and  then 
remarked,  "  I  guess  that's  your  best  way  out." 

"  It  aint  an  easy  way,  either,"  said  Holcroft.  "  Find- 
ing a  purchaser  or  tenant  for  a  farm  like  mine  is  almost 
as  hard  as  finding  a  wife.  Then,  as  I  feel,  leaving  my 
place  is  next  to  leaving  the  world." 

Tom  shook  his  head  ruefully  and  admitted,  "  I  declare, 
Jim,  when  a  feller  comes  to  think  it  all  over,  you  are  in 
a  bad  fix,  especially  as  you  feel.  I  thought  I  could  talk 
you  over  into  practical  common  sense  in  no  time.  It's 
easy  enough,  when  one  don't  know  all  the  bearin's  of  a 
case,  to  think  carelessly,  '  Oh,  he  aint  as  bad  off  as  he 
thinks  he  is.  He  can  do  this  and  that  and  the  t'other 
thing.'  But  when  you  come  to  look  it  all  over,  you  find 
he  can't,  except  at  a  big  loss.  Of  course,  you  can  give 
away  your  farm  on  which  you  were  doing  well  and  get- 
ting ahead,  though  how  you  did  it,  I  don't  see.  You'd 
have  to  about  give  it  away  if  you  forced  a  sale,  and  where 
on  earth  you'll  find  a  tenant  who'll  pay  anything  worth 

considering But  there's  no  use  of  croaking.    I  wish 

I  could  help  you,  old  feller.  By  jocks !  I  believe  I  can. 
There's  an  old  woman  here  who's  right  smart  and  handy 
when  she  can't  get  her  botile  filled.  I  believe  she'd  be 
glad  to  go  with  you,  for  she  don't  like  our  board  and 
lodging  over  much." 


76        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  Do  you  think  she'd  go  to-nighl  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes!  guess  so.  A  Httle  cold  water  '11  be  a  good 
change  for  her." 

Mrs.  Wiggins  was  seen,  and,  feeling  that  any  change 
would  be  for  the  better,  readily  agreed  to  go  for  very 
moderate  wages.  Holcroft  looked  dubiously  at  the 
woman's  heavy  form  and  heavier  face,  but  felt  that  it  was 
the  best  he  could  do.  Squeezing  Mrs.  Watterly's  cold, 
limp  hand  in  a  way  that  would  have  thawed  a  lump  of 
ice,  he  said  "  good-by  ";  and  then  declaring  that  he  would 
rather  do  his  own  harnessing  for  a  night  ride,  he  went 
out  into  the  storm.  Tom  put  on  his  rubber  coat  and 
went  to  the  barn  with  his  friend,  toward  whom  he  cher- 
ished honest  good-will. 

"  By  jocks  !"  he  ejaculated  sympathetically,  "  but  you 
have  hard  lines,  Jim.  What  in  thunder  would  I  do  with 
two  such  widdy  women  to  look  after  my  house  !  " 


CHAPTER  IX. 

MRS.   MUMPSON   ACCEPTS   HER   MISSION. 

As  Holcroft  drove  through  the  town  Mrs.  Wiggins, 
who,  as  matters  were  explained  to  her,  had  expressed  her 
views  chiefly  by  affirmative  nods,  now  began  to  use  her 
tongue  with  much  fluency. 

"  Hi  'ave  a  friend  'erehabouts,"  she  said,  "  an'  she's 
been  a-keepin'  some  of  my  things.  Hi'll  be  be'olden  to 
ye,  master,  hif  ye'll  jes  stop  a  bit  hat  the  door  whiles  hi 
gets  'em.  Hif  ye'll  hadvance  me  a  dollar  or  so  on  me 
wages  hit '11  be  a  long  time  hafore  I  trouble  ye  hagain." 

The  farmer  had  received  too  broad  a  hint  not  to  know 
that  Mrs,  Wiggins  was  intent  on  renewing  her  acquaint- 
ance with  her  worst  enemy.  He  briefly  replied,  there- 
fore, "  It's  too  late  to  stop  now.  I'll  be  coming  down 
soon  again  and  will  get  your  things." 

In  vain  Mrs.  Wiggins  expostulated,  for  he  drove 
steadily  on.  With  a  sort  of  grim  humor,  he  thought  of 
the  meeting  of  the  two  "  widdy  women,"  as  Tom  had 
characterized  them,  and  of  Mrs.  Mumpson's  dismay  nt 
finding  in  the  "  cheap  girl  "  a  dame  of  sixty,  weighing 
not  far  from  two  hundred.  "  If  it  wasn't  such  awfully 
serious  business  for  me,"  he  thought,  "  it  would  be  better'a 
going  to  a  theater  to  see  the  two  go  on.  If  I  haven't  got 
three  'peculiar  females  '  on  my  hands  now,  I'd  like  to 
hear  of  the  man  that  has." 


78        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

When  Mrs.  Wiggins  found  that  she  could  not  gain  her 
point,  she  subsided  into  utter  silence.  It  soon  became 
evident  in  the  cloudy  light  of  the  moon  that  she  was 
going  to  sleep,  for  she  so  nodded  and  swayed  about  that 
the  farmer  feared  she  would  tumble  out  of  the  wagon. 
She  occupied  a  seat  just  back  of  his  and  filled  it,  too. 
The  idea  of  stepping  over,  sitting  beside  her,  and  holding 
her  in,  was  inexpressibly  repugnant  to  him.  So  he  began 
talking  to  her,  and  finally  shouting  at  her,  to  keep  her 
awake. 

His  efforts  were  useless.  He  glanced  with  rueful  dis- 
may over  his  shoulder  as  he  thought,  "  If  she  falls  out,  I 
don't  see  how  on  earth  I'll  ever  get  her  back  again." 

Fortunately  the  seat  slipped  back  a  little,  and  she  soon 
slid  down  into  a  sort  of  mountainous  heap  on  the  bottom 
of  the  wagon,  as  unmindful  of  the  rain  as  if  it  were  a 
lullaby.  Now  that  his  mind  was  at  rest  about  her  falling 
out,  and  knowing  that  he  had  a  heavy  load,  Holcroft  let 
the  horses  take  their  own  time  along  the  miry  highway. 

Left  to  her  own  devices  by  Holcroft's  absence,  Mrs. 
Mumpson  had  passed  what  she  regarded  as  a  very  event- 
ful afternoon  and  evening.  Not  that  anything  unusual 
had  happened,  unless  everything  she  said  and  did  may 
be  looked  upon  as  unusual;  but  Mrs.  Mumpson  justly 
felt  that  the  critical  periods  of  life  are  those  upon  which 
definite  courses  of  action  are  decided  upon.  In  the 
secret  recesses  of  her  heart — supposing  her  to  possess 
such  an  organ— she  had  partially  admitted  to  herself, 
even  before  she  had  entered  Holcroft's  door,  that  she 
might  be  persuaded  into  marrying  him  ;  but  the  inspec- 
tion of  his  room,  much  deliberate  thought,  and  prolonged 
soliloquy,  had  convinced  her  that  she  ought  to  "  enter 
into  nuptial  relations,"  as  her  thought  formulated  itself. 


MRS.  MUMP  SON  A  CCEP  TS  HER  MISSION.        7  9 

It  was  a  trait  of  Mrs.  Mumpson's  active  mind,  that  when 
it  once  entered  upon  a  Hne  of  thought,  it  was  hurried 
along  from  conclusion  to  conclusion  with  wonderful 
rapidity. 

While  Jane  made  up  Mr.  Holcroft's  bed  her  mother 
began  to  inspect,  and  soon  suffered  keenly  from  a  very 
painful  discovery.  The  farmer's  meager  wardrobe  and 
other  belongings  were  soon  rummaged  over,  but  one 
large  closet  and  several  bureau  drawers  were  locked. 
"  These  are  the  receptercles  of  the  deceased  Mrs.  Hol- 
croft's affects,"  she  said  with  compressed  lips.  *'  They 
are  moldering  useless  away.  Moth  and  rust  will  enter, 
while  I,  the  caretaker,  am  debarred.  I  should  not  be 
debarred.  All  the  things  in  that  closet  should  be  shaken 
out,  aired,  and  carefully  put  back.  Who  knows  how 
useful  they  may  be  in  the  future  !  Waste  is  wicked. 
Indeed,  there  are  few  things  more  wicked  than  waste. 
Now  I  think  of  it,  I  have  some  keys  in  my  trunk. '^ 

"  He  won't  like  it,"  interposed  Jane. 

"  In  the  responserble  persition  I  have  assumed," 
replied  Mrs.  Mumpson  w  ith  dignity,  "  I  must  consider, 
not  what  he  wants,  but  what  is  best  for  him  and  what 
may  be  best  for  others." 

Jane  had  too  much  curiosity  herself  to  make  further 
objection,  and  the  keys  w^ere  brought.  It  was  astonish- 
ing what  a  number  of  keys  Mrs.  Mumpson  possessed, 
and  she  was  not  long  in  finding  those  which  would  open 
the  ordinary  locks  thought  by  Holcroft  to  be  ample  pro- 
tection. 

"  I  was  right,"  said  Mrs.  Mumpson  complacently. 
"  A  musty  odor  exudes  from  these  closed  receptercles. 
Men  have  no  comprehension  of  the  need  of  such  care- 
takers as  I  am." 


8o        HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

Everything  that  had  ever  belonged  to  poor  Mrs.  Hoi 
croft  was  pulled  out,  taken  to  the  window,  and  examined, 
Jane  following,  as  usual,  in  the  wake  of  her  mother  and 
putting  everything  to  the  same  tests  which  her  parent 
applied.  Mrs.  Holcroft  had  been  a  careful  woman,  and 
the  extent  and  substantial  character  of  her  wardrobe 
proved  that  her  husband  had  not  been  close  in  his  allow- 
ances to  her.  Mrs.  Mumpson's  wateiy  blue  eyes  grew 
positively  animated  as  she  felt  of  and  held  up  to  the  light 
one  thing  after  another.  "  Mrs.  Holcroft  was  evidently 
unnaturally  large,"  she  reflected  aloud,  "but  then  these 
things  could  be  made  over,  and  much  material  be  left  to 
repair  them,  from  time  to  time.  The  dresses  are  of 
somber  colors,  becoming  to  a  lady  somewhat  advanced 
in  years  and  of  subdued  taste," 

By  the  time  that  the  bed  and  all  the  chairs  in  the 
room  were  littered  with  wearing  apparel,  Mrs.  Mumpson 
said,  "Jane,  I  desire  you  to  bring  the  rocking  chair.  So 
many  thoughts  are  crowding  upon  me  that  I  must  sit 
down  and  think," 

Jane  did  as  requested,  but  remarked,  "  The  sun  is  get- 
tin'  low,  and  all  these  things  '11  have  to  be  put  back  just 
as  they  was  or  he'll  be  awful  mad." 

"  Yes,  Jane,"  replied  Mrs.  Mumpson  abstractedly  and 
rocking  gently,  "  you  can  put  them  back.  Your  mind  is 
not  burdened  like  mine,  and  you  haven't  offspring  and 
the  future  to  provide  for,"  and,  for  a  wonder,  she  relapsed 
into  silence.  Possibly  she  possessed  barely  enough  of 
womanhood  to  feel  that  her  present  train  of  thought  had 
better  be  kept  to  herself.  She  gradually  rocked  faster 
and  faster,  thus  indicating  that  she  was  rapidly  approach- 
ing a  conclusion. 

Meanwhile,  Jane  was  endeavoring  to  put  things  back 


MRS.  M  UMPSON  A  CCEP  TS  HER  MISSION.        8 1 

as  they  were  before  and  found  it  no  easy  task.  As  the 
light  declined  she  was  overcome  by  a  sort  of  panic,  and, 
huddling  the  things  into  the  drawers  as  fast  as  possible, 
she  locked  them  up.  Then,  seizing  her  mother's  hand 
and  pulling  the  abstracted  woman  to  her  feet,  she  cried, 
"  If  he  comes  and  finds  us  here  and  no  supper  ready,  he'll 
turn  us  right  out  into  the  rain ! " 

Even  Mrs.  Mumpson  felt  that  she  was  perhaps  reach- 
ing conclusions  too  fast  and  that  some  diplomacy  might 
be  necessary  to  consummate  her  plans.  Her  views,  how- 
ever, appeared  to  her  so  reasonable  that  she  scarcely 
thought  of  failure,  having  the  happy  faculty  of  realizing 
everything  in  advance,  whether  it  ever  took  place  or 
not. 

As  she  slowly  descended  the  stairs  with  the  rocking 
chair,  she  thought,  "  Nothing  could  be  more  suiterble. 
We  are  both  about  the  same  age ;  I  am  most  respecter- 
bly  connected — in  fact,  I  regard  myself  as  somewhat  his 
superior  in  this  respect ;  he  is  painfully  undeveloped  and 
irreligious  and  thus  is  in  sore  need  of  female  influence ; 
he  is  lonely  and  down-hearted,  and  in  woman's  voice 
there  is  a  spell  to  banish  care  ;  worst  of  all,  things  are 
going  to  waste.  I  must  delib'rately  face  the  great  duty 
with  which  Providence  has  brought  me  face  to  face.  At 
first,  he  may  be  a  little  blind  to  this  great  oppertunity  of 
his  life — that  I  must  expect,  remembering  the  influence 
he  was  under  so  many  years — but  I  will  be  patient  and, 
by  the  proper  use  of  language,  place  everything  eventu- 
ally before  him  in  a  way  that  will  cause  him  to  yield  in 
glad  submission  to  my  views  of  the  duties,  the  priviliges, 
and  the  responserbilities  of  life." 

So  active  was  Mrs.  Mumpson's  mind  that  this  train  of 
thought  was  complete  by  the  time  she  had  ensconced  her 


82        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

self  in  the  rocking  chair  by  the  fireless  kitchen  stove. 
Once  more  Jane  seized  her  hand  and  dragged  her  up. 
"  You  must  help,"  said  the  child.  "  I  'spect  him  every 
minnit  and  I'm  scart  half  to  death  to  think  what  he'll  do, 
'specially  if  he  finds  out  we've  been  rummagin'." 

"  Jane,"  said  Mrs.  Mumpson  severely,  "  that  is  not  a 
proper  way  of  expressing  yourself.  I  am  housekeeper 
here,  and  I've  been  inspecting." 

"  Shall  I  tell  him  you've  been  inspectin'  ?  "  asked  the 
girl  keenly. 

"  Children  of  your  age  should  speak  when  they  are 
spoken  to,"  replied  her  mother,  still  more  severely. 
"  You  cannot  comprehend  my  motives  and  duties,  and  I 
should  have  to  punish  you  if  you  passed  any  remarks 
upon  my  actions." 

"  Well,"  said  Jane  apprehensively,  "  I  only  hope  we'll 
soon  have  a  chance  to  fix  up  them  drawers,  for  if  he 
should  open  'em  we'd  have  to  tramp  again,  and  we  will 
anyway  if  you  don't  help  me  get  supper." 

"  You  are  mistaken,  Jane,"  responded  Mrs.  Mumpson 
with  dignity.  "  We  shall  not  leave  this  roof  for  three 
months,  and  that  will  give  me  ample  time  to  open  his 
eyes  to  his  true  interests.  I  will  condescend  to  these 
menial  tasks,  until  he  brings  a  girl  who  will  yield  the 
deference  due  to  my  years  and  station  in  life." 

Between  them,  after  filling  the  room  with  smoke,  they 
kindled  the  kitchen  fire.  Jane  insisted  on  making  the 
coffee  and  then  helped  her  mother  to  prepare  the  rest  of 
the  supper,  doing,  in  fact,  the  greater  part  of  the  work. 
Then  they  sat  down  to  wait,  and  they  waited  so  long 
iiat  Mrs,  Mumpson  began  to  express  her  disapproval  by 
rocking  violently.  At  last,  she  said  severely,  "Jane,  we 
will  partake  of  supper  alone." 


MRS.  MUMP  SON  A  CCEP  TS  HER  MISSION.        ^l 

"  I'd  ruther  wait  till  he  comes." 

"  It's  not  proper  that  we  should  wait.  He  is  not 
showing  me  due  respect.     Come,  do  as  I  command." 

Mrs.  Mumpson  indulged  in  lofty  and  aggrieved  re- 
marks throughout  the  meal  and  then  returned  to  her 
rocker.  At  last,  her  indignant  sense  of  wrong  reached 
such  a  point  that  she  commanded  Jane  to  clear  the  table 
and  put  away  the  things. 

"  I  won't,"  said  the  child. 

"  What  !  will  you  compel  me  to  chastise  you  ?  " 

"Well,  then,  I'll  tell  him  it  was  all  your  doin's." 

"  I  shall  tell  him  so  myself.  I  shall  remonstrate  with 
him.  The  idea  of  his  coming  home  alone  at  this  time  of 
night,  with  an  unknown  female  !  " 

"  One  would  think  you  was  his  aunt,  to  hear  you  talk," 
remarked  the  girl  sullenly. 

"  I  am  a  respecterble  woman  and  most  respecterbly 
connected.  My  character  and  antercedents  render  me 
irrerproachful.  This  could  not  be  said  of  a  hussy,  and  a 
hussy  he'll  probably  bring — some  flighty,  immerture 
female  that  will  tax  even  my  patience  to  train." 

Another  hour  passed,  and  the  frown  on  Mrs.  Mump- 
son's  brow  grew  positively  awful.  "  To  think,"  she  mut- 
tered, "  that  a  man  whom  I  have  deemed  it  my  duty  to 
marry  should  stay  out  so  and  under  such  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances. He  must  have  a  lesson  which  he  can  never 
forget."  Then  aloud,  to  Jane,  "  Kindle  a  fire  on  the 
parlor  hearth  and  let  this  fire  go  out.  He  must  find  us 
in  the  most  respecterble  room  in  the  house — a  room  be- 
fitting my  station." 

"  I  declare,  mother,  you  aint  got  no  sense  at  all !  "  ex- 
claimed the  child,  exasperated  beyond  measure. 

"  I'll  teach  you  to  use  such  unrerspectful  language!  ** 


84        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

cried  Mrs.  Mumpson,  darting  from  her  chair  Hke  a  hawk 
and  pouncing  upon  the  unhappy  child. 

With  ears  tinghng  from  a  cuffing  she  could  not  soon 
forget,  Jane  lighted  the  parlor  tire  and  sat  down  sniffling 
in  the  farthest  corner. 

"  There  shall  be  only  one  mistress  in  this  house,"  said 
Mrs.  Mumpson,  who  had  now  reached  the  loftiest  plane 
of  virtuous  indignation,  "  and  its  master  shall  learn  that 
his  practices  reflect  upon  even  me  as  well  as  himself." 

At  last  the  sound  of  horses'  feet  was  heard  on  the  wet, 
oozy  ground  without.  The  irate  widow  did  not  rise,  but 
merely  indicated  her  knowledge  of  Holcroft's  arrival  by 
rocking  more  rapidly. 

"  Hello,  there,  Jane!"  he  shouted,  "  bring  a  light  to  the 
kitchen." 

"Jane,  remain!"  said  Mrs.  Mumpson,  with  an  awfu 
look. 

Holcroft  stumbled  through  the  dark  kitchen  to  the  par- 
lor door  and  looked  with  surprise  at  the  group  before 
him, — Mrs.  Mumpson  apparently  oblivious  and  rocking 
as  if  the  chair  was  possessed,  and  the  child  crying  in  a 
corner. 

"  Jane,  didn't  you  hear  me  call  for  a  light  }  "  he  asked  a 
little  sharply. 

Mrs.  Mumpson  rose  with  great  dignity  and  began, 
*'  Mr.  Holcroft,  I  wish  to  remonstrate " 

"Oh,  bother!  I've  brought  a  woman  to  help  you,  and 
we're  both  wet  through  from  this  driving  rain." 

"  You've  brought  a  strange  female  at  this  time  of " 

Holcroft's  patience  gave  w^ay,  but  he  only  said  quietly, 
"  You  had  better  have  a  light  in  the  kitchen  within  two 
minutes.  I  w^arn  you  both.  I  also  wish  some  hot 
coffee." 


MRS.  MUMP  SON  A  CCEP  TS  HER  MISSION,        85 

Mrs.  Mumpson  had  no  comprehension  of  a  man  who 
could  be  so  quiet  when  he  was  angry,  and  she  beHeved 
that'she  might  impress  him  with  a  due  sense  of  the  enor- 
mity of  his  offense.  "  Mr.  Holcroft,  I  scarcely  feel  that 
I  can  meet  a  girl  who  has  no  more  sense  of  decorum 

than  to "     But  Jane,  striking  a  match,  revealed  the 

fact  that  she  was  speaking  to  empty  air. 

Mrs.  Wiggins  was  at  last  so  far  aroused  that  she  was 
helped  from  the  wagon  and  came  shivering  and  dripping 
toward  the  kitchen.  She  stood  a  moment  in  the  door- 
way and  filled  it,  blinking  confusedly  at  the  light.  There 
was  an  absence  of  celerity  in  all  Mrs.  Wiggins'  move- 
ments, and  she  was  therefore  slow  in  the  matter  of  wak- 
ing up.  Her  aspect  and  proportions  almost  took  away 
Mrs.  Mumpson 's  breath.  Here  certainly  was  much  to 
superintend,  much  more  than  had  been  anticipated.  Mrs. 
Wiggins  was  undoubtedly  a  "  peculiar  female,"  as  had 
been  expected,  but  she  was  so  elderly  and  monstrous 
that  Mrs.  Mumpson  felt  some  embarrassment  in  her  pur- 
pose to  overwhelm  Holcroft  with  a  sense  of  the  impro- 
priety of  his  conduct. 

Mrs.  Wiggins  took  uncertain  steps  toward  the  rocking 
chair,  and  almost  crushed  it  as  she  sat  down.  "  Ye  gives 
a  body  a  cold  velcome,"  she  remarked,  rubbing  her 
eyes. 

Mrs.  Mumpson  had  got  out  of  her  way  as  a  minnow 
would  shun  a  leviathan.  "  May  I  ask  your  name  }  "  she 
gasped. 

"  Viggins,  Mrs.  Viggins." 

"  Oh,  indeed  !     You  are  a  married  woman  ?" 

"No,  hi'm  a  vidder.  What's  more,  hi'm  cold,  an' 
drippin',  an'  'ungry.  Hi  might  'a'  better  stayed  at  the 
poor-US  than  come  to  a  place  like  this." 


86       HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE. 

"  What !  "  almost  screamed  Mrs.  Mumpson,  "  are  you 
a  pauper  ? 

"  Hi  tell  ye  hi'm  a  vidder,  an'  good  as  you  be,  for  hall 
he  said,"  was  the  sullen  reply. 

"  To  think  that  a  respecterbly  connected  woman  like 

me "     But  for  once  Mrs.  Mumpson  found  language 

ii>adequate.  Since  Mrs.  Wiggins  occupied  the  rocking 
chair,  she  hardly  knew  what  to  do  and  plaintively  de- 
clared, "  I  feel  as  if  my  whole  nervous  system  was  giving 
way." 

"  No  'arm  '11  be  done  hif  hit  does,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Wiggins,  who  was  not  in  an  amiable  mood, 

"This  from  the  female  I'm  to  superintend  !  "  gasped 
the  bewildered  woman. 

Her  equanimity  was  still  further  disturbed  by  the 
entrance  of  the  farmer,  who  looked  at  the  stove  with  a 
heavy  frown. 

"  Why  in  the  name  of  common  sense  isn't  there  a 
fire  ?  "  he  asked,  "  and  supper  on  the  table  ?  Couldn't 
you  hear  that  it  was  raining  and  know  we'd  want  some 
supper  after  a  long,  cold  ride  ? 

"  Mr.  Holcroft,"  began  the  widow,  in  some  trepida- 
tion, "  I  don't  approve — such  irregular  habits " 

"  Madam,"  interrupted  Holcroft  sternly,  "  did  I  agree 
to  do  what  you  approved  of  ?  Your  course  is  so  peculiar 
that  I  scarcely  believe  you  are  in  your  right  mind.  You 
had  better  go  to  your  room  and  try  to  recover  your 
senses.  If  I  can't  have  things  in  this  house  to  suit  me 
I'll  have  no  one  in  it.     Here,  Jane,  you  can  help." 

Mrs.  Mumpson  put  her  handkerchief  to  her  eyes  and 
departed.  She  felt  that  this  display  of  emotion  would 
touch  Holcroft's  feelings  when  he  came  to  think  the  scene 
all  over. 


MRS.  MUMP  SON  A  CCEP  TS  HER  MISSION.        8  7 

Having  kindled  the  fire,  he  said  to  Jane,  "  You  and 
Mrs.  Wiggins  get  some  coffee  and  supper  in  short  order, 
and  have  it  ready  when  I  come  in,"  and  he  hastened  out 
to  care  for  his  horses.  If  the  old  woman  was  slow,  she 
knew  just  how  to  make  every  motion  effective,  and  a  good 
supper  was  soon  ready. 

"  Why  didn't  you  keep  up  a  fire,  Jane  ?  "  Holcroft 
asked. 

"  She  wouldn't  let  me.  She  said  how  you  must  be 
taught  a  lesson,"  replied  the  girl,  feeling  that  she  must 
choose  between  two  potentates,  and  deciding  quickly  in 
favor  of  the  farmer.  She  had  been  losing  faith  in  her 
mother's  wisdom  a  long  time,  and  this  night's  experience 
had  banished  the  last  shred  of  it. 

Some  rather  bitter  words  rose  to  Holcroft's  lips,  but  he 
restrained  them.  He  felt  that  he  ought  not  to  disparage 
the  mother  to  the  child.  As  Mrs.  Wiggins  grew  warm, 
and  imbibed  the  generous  coffee,  her  demeanor  thawed 
perceptibly  and  she  graciously  vouchsafed  the  remark, 
•'  Ven  you're  hout  late  hag'in  hi'll  look  hafter  ye." 

Mrs.  Mumpson  had  not  been  so  far  off  as  not  to  hear 
Jane's  explanation,  as  the  poor  child  found  to  her  cost 
when  she  went  up  to  bed. 


CHAPTER  X. 

A   NIGHT   OF   TERROR. 

As  poor,  dazed,  homeless  Alida  passed  out  into  the 
street,  after  the  revelation  that  she  was  not  a  wife  and 
never  had  been,  she  heard  a  voice  say,  "  Well,  Hanner 
wasn't  long  in  bouncing  the  woman.  I  guess  we'd  bet- 
ter go  up  now.  Ferguson  will  need  a  lesson  that  he 
won't  soon  forget." 

The  speaker  of  these  words  was  Mrs.  Ferguson's 
brother,  William  Hackman,  and  his  companion  was  a 
detective.  The  wife  had  laid  her  still  sleeping  child 
down  on  the  lounge  and  was  coolly  completing  Alida's 
preparations  for  dinner.  Her  husband  had  sunk  back 
into  a  chair  and  again  buried  his  face  in  his  hands. 
He  looked  up  with  startled,  bloodshot  eyes  as  his  brother- 
in-law  and  the  stranger  entered,  and  then  resumed  his 
former  attitude. 

Mrs.  Ferguson  briefly  related  what  had  happened,  and 
then  said,  "  Take  chairs  and  draw  up." 

"I  don't  want  any  dinner,"  muttered  the  husband. 

Mr.  William  Hackman  now  gave  way  to  his  irritation. 
Turning  to  his  brother,  he  relieved  his  mind  as  follows  : 
"  See  here.  Hank  Ferguson,  if  you  hadn't  the  best  wife  in 
the  land,  this  gentleman  would  now  be  giving  you  a  prom- 
enade to  jail.  I've  left  my  work  for  weeks,  and  spent  a 
sight  of  money  to  see  that  my  sister  got  her  rights,  and. 


A   NIGHT  OF   TERROR.  89 

by  thunder !  she's  going  to  have  'em.  We've  agreed  to 
give  you  a  chance  to  brace  up  and  be  a  man.  If  we  find 
out  there  isn't  any  man  in  you,  then  you  go  to  prison  and 
hard  labor  to  the  hull  extent  of  the  law.  We've  fixed 
tilings  so  you  can't  play  any  more  tricks.  This  man  is  a 
private  detective.  As  long  as  you  do  the  square  thing  by 
your  wife  and  child,  you'll  be  let  alone.  If  you  try  to 
sneak  off,  you'll  be  nabbed.  Now,  if  you  aint  a  scamp 
down  to  your  heel-taps,  get  up  out  of  that  chair  like  a 
man,  treat  your  wife  as  she  deserves  for  letting  you  off  so 
easy,  and  don't  make  her  change  her  mind  by  acting  as 
if  you,  and  not  her,  was  the  wronged  person." 

At  heart  Ferguson  was  a  weak,  cowardly,  selfish 
creature,  whose  chief  aim  in  life  was  to  have  things  to 
suit  himself.  When  they  ceased  to  be  agreeable,  he  was 
ready  for  a  change,  without  much  regard  for  the  means 
to  his  ends.  He  had  always  foreseen  the  possibility  of 
the  event  which  had  now  taken  place,  but,  like  all  self-in- 
dulgent natures,  had  hoped  that  he  might  escape  detec- 
tion. Alida,  moreover,  had  won  a  far  stronger  hold  upon 
him  than  he  had  once  imagined  possible.  He  was  terri- 
bly mortified  and  cast  down  by  the  result  of  his  experi- 
ment, as  he  reg^ed  it.  But  the  thought  of  a  prison  and 
hard  labor  speedily  drew  his  mind  away  from  this  asj)ect 
of  the  affair.  He  had  been  fairly  caught,  his  lark  w^as 
over,  and  he  soon  resolved  that  the  easiest  and  safest  way 
out  of  the  scrape  was  the  best  way.  He  therefore  raised 
his  head  and  came  forward  with  a  penitent  air,  as  he  said  : 
"  It's  natural  I  should  be  overwhelmed  with  shame  at  the 
position  in  which  I  find  myself.  But  I  see  the  truth  of 
your  words,  and  I'll  try  to  make  it  all  right,  as  far  as  I 
can.  I'll  go  back  with  you  and  Hannah  to  my  old  home, 
I've  got  money  in  the  bank,  I'll  sell  out  everything  here, 


90        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

and  I'll  pay  you,  William,  as  far  as  I  can,  what  you've 
spent.  Hannah  is  mighty  good  to  let  me  off  so  easy,  and 
she  won't  be  sorry.  This  man  is  witness  to  what  I  say," 
and  the  detective  nodded. 

"Why,  Ferguson,"  said  Mr.  Hackman  effusively, 
"  now  you're  talking  like  a  man.  Come  and  kiss  him, 
Hanner,  and  make  it  all  up." 

"  That's  the  way  with  you  men,"  said  the  woman  bit- 
terly. "  These  things  count  for  little.  Henry  Ferguson 
must  prove  he's  honest  in  what  he  says  by  deeds,  not 
words.  I'll  do  as  I've  said  if  he  acts  square,  and  that's 
enough  to  start  with." 

•*  All  right,"  said  Ferguson,  glad  enough  to  escape  the 
caress.     "  I'll  do  as  I  say." 

He  did  do  all  he  promised,  and  very  promptly,  too. 
He  was  not  capable  of  believing  that  a  woman  wronged 
as  Alida  had  been  would  not  prosecute  him,  and  he  was 
eager  to  escape  to  another  State,  and,  in  a  certain  meas- 
ure, again  to  hide  his  identity  under  his  own  actual  name. 

Meanwhile,  how  fared  the  poor  creature  who  had  fled, 
driven  forth  by  her  first  wild  impulse  to  escape  from  a 
false  and  terrible  position  ?  With  every  step  she  took 
down  the  dimly  lighted  street,  the  abyss  into  which  she 
had  fallen  seemed  to  grow  deeper  and  darker.  She  was 
overwhelmed  with  the  magnitude  of  her  misfortune.  She 
shunned  the  illumined  thoroughfares  with  a  half-crazed 
sense  that  every  finger  would  be  pointed  at  her.  Her 
final  words,  spoken  to  Ferguson,  were  the  last  clear 
promptings  of  her  womanly  nature.  After  that,  every- 
thing grew  confused,  except  the  impression  of  remediless 
disaster  and  shame.  She  was  incapable  of  forming  any 
correct  judgment  concerning  her  position.  The  thought 
of  her  pastor  filled  her  with  horror.     He,  she  thought, 


A   NIGHT  OF   TERROR.  9t 

would  take  the  same  view  which  the  woman  had  so 
brutally  expressed — that  in  her  eagerness  to  be  married, 
she  had  brought  to  the  parsonage  an  unknown  man  and 
had  involved  a  clergyman  in  her  own  scandalous  record. 
It  would  all  be  in  the  papers,  and  her  pastor's  name 
mixed  up  in  the  affair.  Sbe  would  rather  die  than  sub- 
ject him  to  such  an  ordeal.  Long  after,  when  he  learned 
the  facts  in  the  case,  he  looked  at  her  very  sadly,  as  he 
asked  :  "  Didn't  you  know  me  better  than  that  ?  Had  I 
so  failed  in  my  preaching  that  you  couldn't  come  straight 
to  me?  " 

She  wondered  afterward  that  she  had  not  done  this, 
but  she  was  too  morbid,  too  close  upon  absolute  insanity, 
to  do  what  was  wise  and  safe.  She  simply  yielded  to 
the  wild  impulse  to  escape,  to  cower,  to  hide  from  every 
human  eye,  hastening  through  the  darkest,  obscurest 
streets,  not  caring  where.  In  the  confusion  of  her  mind 
she  would  retrace  her  steps,  and  soon  was  utterly  lost, 
wandering  she  knew  not  whither.  As  it  grew  late 
casual  passers-by  looked  after  her  curiously,  rough  men 
spoke  to  her,  and  others  jeered.  She  only  hastened  on, 
driven  by  her  desperate  trouble  like  the  wild,  ragged 
clouds  that  were  flying  across  the  stormy  March  sky. 

At  last  a  policeman  said  gruffly,  "  You've  passed  me 
twice.  You  can't  be  roaming  the  streets  at  this  time  of 
night.     Why  don't  you  go  home  ?  " 

Standing  before  him  and  wringrng  her  hands,  she 
moaned,  "  I  have  no  home  ?  " 

"  Where  did  you  come  from  ?  " 

•'  Oh,  I  can't  tell  you  !  Take  me  to  any  place  where 
a  woman  will  be  safe." 

"  I  can't  take  you  to  any  place  now  but  the  station 
house." 


92        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  But  can  I  be  alone  there  ?  I  won't  be  put  with 
anybody  ?  " 

•'  No,  no ;  of  course  not !  You'll  be  better  off  there. 
Come  along.     'Taint  far." 

She  walked  beside  him  without  a  word. 

"  You'd  better  tell  me  something  of  your  story.  Per- 
haps I  can  do  more  for  you  in  the  morning." 

"  I  can't.  I'm  a  stranger.  I  haven't  any  friends  in 
town." 

"  Well,  well,  the  sergeant  will  see  what  can  be  done 
in  the  morning.  You've  been  up  to  some  foolishness,  I 
suppose,  and  you'd  better  tell  the  whole  story  to  the 
sergeant." 

She  soon  entered  the  station  house  and  was  locked  up 
in  a  narrow  cell.  She  heard  the  grating  of  the  key  in 
the  lock  with  a  sense  of  relief,  feeling  that  she  had  at 
least  found  a  temporary  place  of  refuge  and  security. 
A  hard  board  was  the  only  couch  it  possessed,  but  the 
thought  of  sleep  did  not  enter  her  mind.  Sitting  down, 
she  buried  her  face  in  her  hands  and  rocked  back  and 
forth  in  agony  and  distraction  until  day  dawned.  At  last, 
someone — she  felt  she  could  not  raise  her  eyes  to  his 
face — brought  her  some  breakfast  and  coffee.  She 
drank  the  latter,  but  left  the  food  untasted.  Finally, 
she  was  led  to  the  sergeant's  private  room  and  told  that 
she  must  give  an  account  of  herself.  "  If  you  can't  or 
won't  tell  a  clear  story,"  the  officer  threatened,  "  you'll 
have  to  go  before  the  justice  in  open  court,  and  he  may 
commit  you  to  prison.  If  you'll  tell  the  truth  now,  it 
may  be  that  I  can  discharge  you.  You  had  no  business  to 
be  wandering  about  the  streets  like  a  vagrant  or  worse  ; 
but  if  you  were  a  stranger  or  lost  and  hadn't  sense  enough 
to  go  where  you'd  be  cared  for,  I  can  let  you  go." 


A    NIGHT  OF    TERROR.  93 

"  Oh  ! "  said  Alicia,  again  wringing  her  hands  and 
looking  at  the  officer  with  eyes  so  full  of  misery  and  fear 
that  he  began  to  soften,  "  I  don't  know  where  to  go." 

"  Haven't  you  a  friend  or  acquaintance  in  town  ?  " 

"  Not  one  that  I  can  go  to  ! " 

"  Why  don't  you  tell  me  your  story  ?  Then  I'll  know 
what  to  do,  and  perhaps  can  help  you.  You  don't  look 
like  a  depraved  woman." 

"  I'm  not.     God  knows  I'm  not !  " 

"  Well,  my  poor  woman,  I've  got  to  act  in  view  of 
what  I  know,  not  what  God  knows." 

"  If  I  tell  my  story,  will  I  have  to  give  names  ?  " 

"No,  not  necessarily.     It  would  be  best,  though." 

"  I  can't  do  that,  but  I'll  tell  you  the  truth.  I  will 
swear  it  on  the  Bible.  I  married  someone.  A  good 
minister  married  us.  The  man  deceived  me.  He  was 
already  married,  and  last  night  his  wife  came  to  my 
happy  home  and  proved  before  the  man  whom  I  thought 
my  husband  that  I  was  no  wife  at  all.  He  couldn't^ 
didn't  deny  it.  Oh!  oh!  oh  !  "  and  she  again  rocked 
back  and  forth  in  uncontrollable  anguish.  "  That's  all," 
she  added  brokenly.  "  I  had  no  right  to  be  near  him  or 
her  any  longer,  and  I  rushed  out.  I  don't  remember 
much  more.  My  brain  seemed  on  fire.  I  just  walked 
and  walked  till  I  was  brought  here." 

"  Well,  well !  "  said  the  sergeant  sympathetically,  "  you 
have  been  treated  badly,  outrageously  ;  but  you  are  not  to 
blame  unless  you  married  the  man  hastily  and  foolishly."" 

"  That's  what  everyone  will  think,  but  it  don't  seem  to- 
me  that  I  did.     It's  a  long  story,  and  I  can't  tell  it." 

"  But  you  ought  to  tell  it,  my  poor  woman.  You 
ought  to  sue  the  man  for  damages  hnd  send  him  to 
State  prison." 


94        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  No,  no  !  "  cried  Alida  passionately.  "  I  don't  want 
to  see  him  again,  and  I  won't  go  to  a  court  befoie  people 
unless  I  am  dragged  there." 

The  sergeant  looked  up  at  the  policeman  who  had 
arrested  her  and  said,  "This  story  is  not  contrary  to 
anything  you  saw  ?  " 

"No,  sir;  he  was  wandering  about  and  seemed  half 
out  of  her  mind." 

"Well,  then,  I  can  let  you  go." 

"  But  I  don't  know  where  to  go,"  she  replied,  looking 
at  him  with  hunted,  hollow  eyes.  "  I  feel  as  if  I  were 
going  to  be  sick.  Please  don't  turn  me  into  the  streets. 
I'd  rather  go  back  to  the  cell. 

"  That  won't  answer.  There's  no  place  that  I  can 
send  you  to  except  the  poorhouse.  Haven't  you  any 
money  ?  " 

"  No,  sir.  I  just  rushed  away  and  left  everything 
when  I  learned  the  truth." 

"  Tom  Watterly's  hotel  is  the  only  place  for  her," 
said  the  policeman  with  a  nod. 

"  Oh,  I  can't  go  to  a  hotel." 

"He  means  the  almshouse,"  explained  the  sergeant. 
*'  What  is  your  name  ?  " 

"Alida— that's  all  now.  Yes,  I'm  a  pauper  and  I 
can't  work  just  yet.     I'll  be  safe  there,  won't  I  }  " 

"Certainly,  safe  as  in  your  mother's  house." 

"  Oh,  mother,  mother  ;  thank  God,  you  are  dead  ! " 

"  Well,  I  a7n  sorry  for  you,"  said  the  sergeant  kindly. 
*'  'Taint  often  we  have  so  sad  a  case  as  yours.  If  you 
say  so,  I'll  send  for  Tom  Watterly,  and  he  and  his  wife 
will  take  charge  of  you.  After  a  few  days,  your  mind 
will  get  quieter  and  clearer,  and  then  you'll  prosecute 
the  man  who  wronged  you." 


A   NIGHT  OF   TERROR.  95 

"I'll  go  to  the  poorhouse  until  I  can  do  better,"  she 
replied  wearily.  "  Now,  if  you  please,  I'll  return  to  my 
cell,  where  I  can  be  alone." 

"  Oh,  we  can  give  you  a  better  room  than  that,"  said 
the  sergeant.  "  Show  her  into  the  waiting  room,  Tim. 
If  you  prosecute,  we  can  help  you  with  our  testimony. 
Good-by,  and  may  you  have  better  days  !  " 

Watterly  was  telegraphed  to  come  down  with  a  con- 
veyance, for  the  almshouse  was  in  a  suburb.  In  due 
time  he  appeared,  and  was  briefly  told  Alida's  story. 
He  swore  a  little  at  the  "  mean  cuss,"  the  author  of  all 
the  trouble,  and  then  took  the  stricken  woman  to  what 
all  his  acquaintances  facetiously  termed  his  "  hotel." 


CHAPTER   XI. 

BAFFLED. 

In  the  general  consciousness  Nature  is  regarded  as 
feminine,  and  even  those  who  love  her  most  will  have  to 
adopt  Mrs.  Mumpson's  oft-expressed  opinion  of  the  sex 
and  admit  that  she  is  sometimes  a  "  peculiar  female." 
During  the  month  of  March,  in  which  our  story  opens, 
there  was  scarcely  any  limit  to  her  varying  moods.  It 
would  almost  appear  that  she  was  taking  a  mysterious 
interest  in  Holcroft's  affairs  ;  but  whether  it  was  a  kindly 
interest  or  not,  one  might  be  at  a  loss  to  decide.  When 
she  caught  him  away  from  home,  she  pelted  him  with 
the  coldest  of  rain  and  made  his  house,  with  even  Mrs. 
Mumpson  and  Jane  abiding  there,  seem  a  refuge.  In 
the  morning  after  the  day  on  which  he  had  brought,  or 
in  a  sense  had  carted,  Mrs.  Wiggins  to  his  domicile, 
Nature  w^as  evidently  bent  on  instituting  contrasts  be- 
tween herself  and  the  rival  phases  of  femininity  with 
which  the  farmer  was  compelled  to  associate.  It  may 
have  been  that  she  had  another  motive  and  was  deter- 
mined to  keep  her  humble  worshiper  at  her  feet,  and  to 
render  it  impossible  for  him  to  make  the  changes  toward 
which  he  had  felt  himself  driven. 

Being  an  early  riser  he  was  up  with  the  sun,  and  the 
sun  rose  so  serenely  and  smiled  so  benignly  that  Hol- 
croft's clouded    brow   cleared   in   spite  of  all  that  had 


BAFFLED.  97 

happened  or  could  take  place.  The  rain,  which  had 
brought  such  discomfort  the  night  before,  had  settled  the 
ground  and  made  it  comparatively  firm  to  his  tread. 
The  southern  breeze  which  fanned  his  cheek  was  as  soft 
as  the  air  of  May.  He  remembered  that  it  was  Sunday, 
and  that  beyond  feeding  his  stock  and  milking  he  would 
have  nothing  to  do.  He  exulted  in  the  unusual  mildness 
and  thought,  with  an  immense  sense  of  relief,  "  I  can 
stay  outdoors  nearly  all  day."  He  resolved  to  let  his 
help  kindle  the  fire  and  get  breakfast  as  they  could,  and 
to  keep  out  of  their  way.  Whatever  changes  the  future 
might  bring,  he  would  have  one  more  long  day  ii^ 
rambling  about  his  fields  and  in  thinking  over  the  past. 
Feeling  that  there  need  be  no  haste  about  anything,  he 
leisurely  inhaled  the  air,  fragrant  from  springing  grass, 
and  listened  with  a  vague,  undefined  pleasure  to  the 
ecstatic  music  of  the  bluebirds,  song-sparrows,  and  robins. 
If  anyone  had  asked  him  why  he  liked  to  hear  them  he 
would  have  replied,  "  I'm  used  to  'em.  When  they  come 
I  know  that  plowing  and  planting  time  is  near." 

It  must  be  admitted  that  Holcroft's  enjoyment  of 
spring  was  not  very  far  removed  from  that  of  the  stock 
in  his  barnyard.  All  the  animal  creation  rejoices  in  the 
returning  sun  and  warmth.  A  subtle,  powerful  influence 
sets  the  blood  in  more  rapid  motion,  kindles  new  desires, 
and  awakens  a  glad  expectancy.  All  that  is  alive 
becomes  more  thoroughly  alive  and  existence  in  itself  is 
a  pleasure.  Spring  had  always  brought  to  the  farmer 
quickened  pulses,  renewed  activity  and  hopefulness,  and 
he  was  pleased  to  find  that  he  was  not  so  old  and  cast 
down  that  its  former  influence  had  spent  itself.  Indeed, 
it  seemed  that  never  before  had  his  fields,  his  stock,  and 
outdoor  work — and  these    comprised    Nature  to  him — 


98        HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

been  so  attractive.  They  remained  unchanged  amid  the 
sad  changes  which  had  clouded  his  life,  and  his  heart 
clung  more  tenaciously  than  ever  to  old  scenes  and  occu- 
pations. They  might  not  bring  him  happiness  again, 
but  he  instinctively  felt  that  they  might  insure  a  comfort 
and  peace  with  which  he  could  be  content. 

At  last  he  went  to  the  barn  and  began  his  work,  doing 
everything  slowly,  and  getting  all  the  solace  he  could 
from  the  tasks.  The  horses  whinnied  their  welcome  and 
he  rubbed  their  noses  caressingly  as  he  fed  them.  The 
cows  came  briskly  to  the  rack  in  which  he  foddered  them 
in  pleasant  weather,  and  when  he  scratched  them  between 
the  horns  they  turned  their  mild,  Juno-like  eyes  upon  him 
with  undisguised  affection.  The  chickens,  clamoring  for 
their  breakfast,  followed  so  closely  that  he  had  to  be 
careful  where  he  stepped.  Although  he  knew  that  all 
this  good  will  was  based  chiefly  on  the  hope  of  food  and 
the  remembrance  of  it  in  the  past,  nevertheless  it  soothed 
and  pleased  him.  He  was  in  sympathy  with  this  homely 
life;  it  belonged  to  him  and  was  dependent  on  him-,  it 
made  him  honest  returns  for  his  care.  Moreover,  it  was 
agreeably  linked  with  the  past.  There  were  quiet  cows 
which  his  wife  had  milked,  clucking  biddies  which  she 
had  lifted  from  nests  with  their  downy  brocds.  He 
looked  at  them  wistfully,  and  was  wondering  if  they  ever 
missed  the  presence  that  he  regretted  so  deeply,  when  he 
became  conscious  that  Jane's  eyes  were  upon  him.  How 
long  she  had  been  watching  him  he  did  not  know, 
but  she  merely  said,  "Breakfast's  ready,"  and  dis- 
appeared. 

With  a  sigh  he  went  to  his  room  to  perform  his  ablu- 
tions, remembering  with  a  slight  pang  how  his  wife  always 
had  a  basin  and  towel  ready  for  him  in  the  kitchen.     In 


BAFFLED,  99 

the  breaking  up  of  just  such  homely  customs,  he  was 
continually  reminded  of  his  loss. 

On  awakening  to  the  light  of  this  Sabbath  morning 
Mrs.  Mumpson  had  thought  deeply  and  reasoned  every- 
thing out  again.  She  felt  that  it  must  be  an  eventful 
day  and  that  there  was  much  to  be  accomplished.  In 
the  first  place  there  was  Mrs.  Wiggins.  She  disapproved 
of  her  decidedly.  "  She  isn't  the  sort  of  person  that  I 
would  prefer  to  superintend,"  she  remarked  to  Jane  while 
making  a  toilet  which  she  deemed  befitting  the  day,  "  and 
the  hour  will  assuredly  come  when  Mr.  Holcroft  will 
look  upon  her  in  the  light  that  I  do.  He  will  eventually 
realize  that  I  cannot  be  brought  in  such  close  relation- 
ship with  a  pauper.  Not  that  the  relationship  is  exactly 
close,  but  then  I  shall  have  to  speak  to  her — in  brief,  to 
superintend  her.  My  eyes  will  be  offended  by  her  vast 
proportions  and  uncouth  appearance.  The  floor  creaks 
beneath  her  tread  and  affects  my  nerves  seriously.  Of 
course,  while  she  is  here,  I  shall  zealously,  as  befits  one 
in  my  responserble  position,  try  to  render  useful  such 
service  as  she  can  perform.  But  then,  the  fact  that  I 
disapprove  of  her  must  soon  become  evident.  When  it  is 
discovered  that  I  only  tolerate  her,  there  will  be  a  change. 
I  cannot  show  my  disapproval  very  strongly  to-day,  for  this 
is  a  day  set  apart  for  sacred  things,  and  Mrs.  Viggins,  as 
she  called  herself, — I  cannot  imagine  a  Mr,  Viggins,  for 
no  man  in  his  senses  could  have  married  such  a 
creature, — as  I  was  saying,  Mrs.  Viggins  is  not  at  all 
sacred,  and  I  must  endeavor  to  abstract  my  mind  from 
her  till  to-morrow,  as  far  as  posserble.  My  first  duty  to- 
day is  to  induce  Mr.  Holcroft  to  take  us  to  church.  It 
will  give  the  people  of  Oakville  such  a  pleasing  impres- 
sion to  see  us  driving  to  church.     Of  course,  I  may  fail. 


100     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

Mr.  Holcroft  is  evidently  a  hardened  man.  All  the 
influences  of  his  life  have  been  adverse  to  spiritual  devel- 
opment, and  it  may  require  some  weeks  of  my  influence 
to  soften  him  and  awaken  yearnings  for  what  he  has 
not  yet  known." 

"  He  may  be  yearnin'  for  breakfast,"  Jane  remarked, 
completing  her  toilet  by  tying  her  little  pigtail  braid 
with  something  that  had  once  been  a  bit  of  black  ribbon, 
but  was  now  a  string.  "  You'd  better  come  down  soon 
and  help." 

"  If  Mrs.  Viggins  cannot  get  breakfast,  I  would  like  to 
know  what  she  is  here  for  "  continued  Mrs.  Mumpson 
loftily,  and  regardless  of  Jane's  departure.  "  I  shall 
decline  to  do  menial  work  any  longer,  especially  on  this 
sacred  day,  and  after  I  have  made  my  toilet  for  church. 
Mr.  Holcroft  has  had  time  to  think.  My  disapproval 
was  manifest  last  night  and  it  has  undoubtedly  occurred 
to  him  that  he  has  not  conformed  to  the  proprieties  of 
life.  Indeed,  I  almost  fear  I  shall  have  to  teach  him 
what  the  proprieties  of  life  are.  He  witnessed  my  emo- 
tion when  he  spoke  as  he  should  not  have  spoken  to  jne. 
But  I  must  make  allowances  for  his  unregenerate  state. 
He  was  cold,  and  wet,  and  hungry  last  night,  and  men 
are  unreasonerble  at  such  times,  I  shall  now  heap  coals 
of  fire  upon  his  head.  I  shall  show  that  I  am  a  meek, 
forgiving  Christian  woman,  and  he  will  relent,  soften,  and 
become  penitent.  Then  will  be  my  opportunity,"  and 
she  descended  to  the  arena  which  should  witness  her 
efforts. 

During  the  period  in  which  Mrs.  Mumpson  had 
indulged  in  these  lofty  reflections  and  self-communings, 
Mrs.  Wiggins  had  also  arisen.  I  am  not  sure  whether 
she  had  thought  of  anything  in  particular  or  not.     She 


BAFFLED.  loi 

may  have  had  some  spiritual  longings  which  were  not 
becoming  to  any  day  of  the  week.  Being  a  woman  of 
deeds,  rather  than  of  thought,  probably  «iiot  much  else 
occurred  to  her  beyond  the  duty  of  kindling  the  fire  and 
getting  breakfast.  Jane  came  down,  and  offered  to  assist, 
but  was  cleared  out  with  no  more  scruple  than  if  Mrs. 
Wiggins  had  been  one  of  the  much-visited  relatives. 

"The  hidee,"  she  grumbled,  "of'avin'  sich  a  little 
trollop  round  hunder  my  feet !  " 

Jane,  therefore,  solaced  herself  by  watching  the  "  cheap 
girl  "  till  her  mother  appeared. 

Mrs.  Mumpson  sailed  majestically  in  and  took  the 
rocking  chair,  mentally  thankful  that  it  had  survived  the 
crushing  weight  imposed  upon  it  the  evening  before. 
Mrs.  Wiggins  did  not  drop  a  courtesy.  Indeed,  not  a 
sign  of  recognition  passed  over  her  vast,  immobile  face. 
Mrs.  Mumpson  was  a  little  embarrassed.  "  I  hardly 
know  how  to  comport  myself  toward  that  female,"  she 
thought.  "  She  is  utterly  uncouth.  Her  manners  are 
unmistakerbly  those  of  a  pauper.  I  think  I  will  ignore 
her  to-day.  I  do  not  wish  my  feelings  ruffled  or  put  out 
of  harmony  with  the  sacred  duties  and  motives  which 
actuate  me." 

Mrs.  Mumpson  therefore  rocked  gently,  solemnly,  and, 
strange  to  say,  silently,  and  Mrs.  Wiggins  also  proceeded 
with  her  duties,  but  not  in  silence,  for  everything  in  the 
room  trembled  and  clattered  at  her  tread.  Suddenly  she 
turned  on  Jane  and  said,  "  'Ere,  you  little  baggage,  go 
and  tell  the  master  breakfast's  ready." 

Mrs.  Mumpson  sprung  from  her  chair,  and  with  a  voice 
choked  with  indignation,  gasped,  "  Do  you  dare  address 
my  offspring  thus?  " 

"  Yer  vat  }  " 


102      HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  My  child,  my  daughter,  who  is  not  a  pauper,  but 
ihe  offspring  of  a  most  respecterble  woman  and  re- 
specterbly  connected.  I'm  amazed,  I'm  dumfoundered, 
I'm " 

"  Ye're  a  bit  daft,  hi'm  a-thinkin'."  Then  to  Jane, 
"  Vy  don't  ye  go  an'  hearn  yer  salt  ?  " 

"Jane,  I  forbid "     But  it  had  not  taken  Jane  half  a 

minute  to  decide  between  the  now  jarring  domestic 
powers,  and  henceforth  she  would  be  at  ]\Irs.  Wiggins' 
beck  and  call.  "She  can  do  somethin',"  the  child  mut- 
tered, as  she  stole  upon  Holcroft. 

Mrs.  Mumpson  sunk  back  in  her  chair,  but  her  mode 
of  rocking  betokened  a  perturbed  spirit.     "  I  will  restrain 

myself  till  to-morrow,  and  then "    She  shook  her  head 

portentously  and  waited  till  the  farmer  appeared,  feeling 
assured  that  IMrs.  Wiggins  would  soon  be  taught  to 
recognize  her  station.  When  breakfast  was  on  the 
table  she  darted  to  her  place  behind  the  coffeepot,  for 
she  felt  that  there  was  no  telling  what  this  awful  Mrs. 
Wiggins  might  not  assume  during  this  day  of  sacred 
restraint.  But  the  ex-pauper  had  no  thought  of  presump- 
tion in  her  master's  presence,  and  the  rocking  chair  again 
distracted  Mrs.  Mumpson's  nerves  as  it  creaked  under  an 
unwonted  weight. 

Holcroft  took  his  seat  in  silence.  The  widow  again 
bowed  her  head  devoutly,  and  sighed  deeply  when  observ- 
ing that  the  farmer  ignored  her  suggestion. 

"  I  trust  that  you  feel  refreshed  after  your  repose,"  she 
said  benignly. 

"  I  do." 

"  It  is  a  lovely  morning — a  morning,  I  may  add,  befit- 
ting the  sacred  day.  Nature  is  at  peace,  and  suggests 
that  we  and  all  should  be  at  peace." 


BAFFLED.  103 

"  There's  nothing  I  hke  more,  Mrs.  Mumpson,  unless 
it  is  quiet." 

"  I  feel  that  way,  myself.  You  don't  know  what 
restraint  I  have  put  upon  myself  that  the  sacred  quiet  of 
this  day  might  not  be  disturbed.  I  have  had  strong  prov- 
ercation  since  I  entered  this  apartment.  I  will  forbear 
to  speak  of  it  till  to-morrow,  in  order  that  there  may  be 
quietness  and  that  our  minds  may  be  prepared  for  wor- 
ship. I  feel  that  it  would  he  unseemly  for  us  to  enter  a 
house  of  worship  with  thoughts  of  strife  in  our  souls. 
At  precisely  what  moment  do  you  wish  me  to  be  ready 
for  church  .?  " 

"  I  am  not  going  to  church,  Mrs.  Mumpson." 

"Not  going  to  church!  I — I — scarcely  understand. 
Worship  is  such  a  sacred  duty " 

"  You  and  Jane  certainly  have  a  right  to  go  to  church, 
and  since  it  is  your  wish,  I'll  take  you  down  to  Lemuel 
Weeks'  and  you  can  go  with  them." 

"  I  don't  want  to  go  to  Cousin  Lemuel's,  nor  to  church, 
nuther,"  Jane  protested. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Holcroft,"  began  the  widow  sweetl)-, 
*'  after  you've  once  harnessed  up  it  will  take  but  a  little 
longer  to  keep  on  to  the  meeting  house.  It  would  appear 
so  seemly  for  us  to  drive  thither,  as  a  matter  of  course. 
It  would  be  what  the  communerty  expects  of  us.  This 
is  not  our  day,  that  we  should  spend  it  carnally.  We 
should  be  spiritually-minded.  We  should  put  away 
things  of  earth.  Thoughts  of  business  and  any  unneces- 
sary toil  should  be  abhorrent.  I  have  often  thought  that 
there  was  too  much  milking  done  on  Sunday  among 
farmers.  I  know  they  say  it  is  essential,  but  they  all 
seem  so  prone  to  forget  that  but  one  thing  is  needful. 
I  feel   it  borne   in  upon   my  mind,  Mr.  Holcroft,  that  I 


104     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

should  plead  with  you  to  attend  divine  worship  and  seek 
an  uplifting  of  your  thoughts.  You  have  no  idea  how 
differently  the  day  may  end,  or  what  emotions  may  be 
aroused  if  you  place  yourself  under  the  droppings  of  the 
sanctuary." 

"  I'm  like  Jane,  I  don't  wish  to  go,"  said  Mr.  Holcroft 
nervously. 

"  But,  my  dear  Mr.  Holcroft," — the  farmer  fidgeted 
under  this  address, — "  the  very  essence  of  true  religion  is 
to  do  what  we  don't  wish  to  do.  We  are  to  mortify  the 
flesh  and  thwart  the  carnal  mind.  The  more  thorny  the 
path  of  self-denial  is,  the  more  certain  it's  the  right  path. 
I've  already  entered  upon  it,"  she  continued,  turning  a 
momentary  glare  upon  IMrs.  Wiggins.  "  Never  before 
w'as  a  respecterble  woman  so  harrow^ed  and  outraged  i 
but  I  am  calm  ;  I  am  endeavoring  to  maintain  a  frame  of 
mind  suiterble  to  worship,  and  I  feel  it  my  bounden  duty 
to  impress  upon  you  that  worship  is  a  necessity  to  every 
human  being.  My  conscience  would  not  acquit  me  if  I 
did  not  use  all  my  influence " 

"  Very  well,  Mrs.  Mumpson,  you  and  your  conscience 
are  quits.  You  have  used  all  your  influence.  I  will  do 
as  I  said — take  you  to  Lemuel  Weeks' — and  you  can  go 
to  church  with  his  family,"  and  he  rose  from  the  table. 

"  But  Cousin  Lemuel  is  also  painfully  blind  to  his 
spiritual  interests " 

Holcroft  did  not  stay  to  listen  and  was  soon  engaged 
in  the  morning  milking.  Jane  flatly  declared  that  she 
would  not  go  to  Cousin  Lemtiel's  or  to  church.  "  It  don't 
do  me  no  good,  nor  you,  nuther,"  she  sullenly  declared 
to  her  mother. 

Mrs.  Mumpson  now  resolved  upon  a  different  line  oi 
tactics.     Assuming  a  lofty,  spiritual  air,  she  commanded 


BAFFLED.  105 

Janfc  to  light  a  fire  in  the  parlor,  and  retired  thither 
with  the  rocking  chair.  The  elder  widow  looked  after 
her  and  ejaculated,  "  Veil,  hif  she  haint  the  craziest 
loon  hi  hever  'eard  talk.  Hif  she  vas  blind  she  might 
'a'  seen  that  the  master  didn't  vant  hany  sich  lecturin' 
clack." 

Having  kindled  the  fire,  the  child  was  about  to  leave 
the  room  when  her  mother  interposed  and  said 
solemnly,  "Jane,  sit  down  and  keep  Sunday." 

"  I'm  going  to  help  Mrs.  Wiggins,  if  she'll  let  me." 

"  You  will  not  so  demean  yourself.  I  wish  you  to 
have  no  relations  whatever  with  that  female  in  the 
kitchen.  If  you  had  proper  self-respect  you  would  never 
speak  to  her  again." 

"We  aint  visitin'  here.  If  I  can't  work  indoors  I'll  tell 
him  I'll  work  out-doors." 

"  It's  not  proper  for  you  to  work  to-day.  I  want  you 
to  sit  there  in  the  corner  and  learn  tlie  Fifth  Com- 
mandment." 

"  Aint  you  goin'  to  Cousin  Lemuel's  ?  " 

"  On  mature  reflection,  I  have  decided  to  remain  at 
home." 

"  I  thought  you  would  if  you  had  any  sense  left.  You 
know  well  enough  we  aint  w^anted  down  there.  I'll  go 
tell  him  not  to  hitch  up." 

"  Well,  I  will  permit  you  to  do  so.  Then  return  to 
your  Sunday  task." 

"  I'm  goin'  to  mind  him,"  responded  the  child.  She 
passed  rapidly  and  apprehensively  through  the  kitchen, 
but  paused  on  the  doorstep  to  make  some  overtures  to 
Mrs.  Wiggins.  If  that  austere  dame  was  not  to  he 
propitiated,  a  line  of  retreat  was  open  to  the  barn. 
"  Say,"  she  began,  to  attract  attention. 


Io6     HE  FELL  LN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  Veil,  young-un,"  repliad  Mrs.  Wiggins,  rendered 
more  pacific  by  her  breakfast. 

"  Don't  you  want  me  to  wash  up  the  dishes  and  put 
'em  away  ?     I  know  how." 

"  Hi'U  try  ye.     Hif  ye  breaks  hanythink "  and  the 

old  woman  nodded  volumes  at  the  child. 

"  I'll  be  back  in  a  minute,"  said  Jane.  A  moment 
later  she  met  Holcroft  carrying  two  pails  of  milk  from  the 
barnyard.  He  was  about  to  pass  without  noticing  her, 
but  she  again  secured  attention  by  her  usual  preface, 
"  Say,"  when  she  had  a  somewhat  extended  communica- 
tion to  make. 

"  Come  to  the  dairy  room,  Jane,  and  say  your  say 
there,"  said  Holcroft  not  unkindly. 

"  She  aint  goin'  to  Cousin  Lemuel's,"  said  the  girl, 
from  the  door. 

"  What  is  she  going  to  do." 

"  Rock  in  the  parlor.  Say,  can't  I  help  IMrs.  Wiggins 
wash  up  the  dishes  and  do  the  work  ?  " 

"  Certainly  ;  why  not  ?  " 

"  Mother  says  I  must  sit  in  the  parlor  'n'  learn  Com- 
mandments 'n'  keep  Sunday." 

"  Well,  Jane,  which  do  you  think  you  ought  to  do  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  oughter  work,  and  if  you  and  Mrs.  Wiggins 
will  let  me,  I  will  work  in  spite  of  mother." 

"  I  think  that  you  and  your  mother  both  should 
help  do  the  necessary  work  to-day.  There  won't  be 
much." 

"  If  I  try  and  help  Mrs.  Wiggins  mother  '11  bounce  ou^ 
at  me.  She  shook  me  last  night  after  I  went  upstairs,  and 
she  boxed  my  cars  'cause  I  wanted  to  keep  the  kitchen 
fire  up  last  night." 

"  I'll  go  with  you  to  the  kitchen  and  tell  Mrs.  Wiggins 


BAFFLED.  107 

to  let  you  help,  and  I  won't  let  your  mother  punish  you 
again  unless  you  do  wrong." 

Mrs.  Wiggins,  relying  on  Jane's  promise  of  help,  had 
sat  down  to  the  solace  of  her  pipe  for  a  few  minutes,  but 
was  about  to  thrust  it  hastily  away  on  seeing  Holcroft. 
He  reassured  her  by  saying  good-naturedly,  "  No  need  of 
that,  my  good  woman.  Sit  still  and  enjoy  your  pipe.  I 
like  to  smoke  myself.  Jane  will  help  clear  away  things 
and  I  wish  her  to.  You'll  find  she's  quite  handy.  By  the 
way,  have  you  all  the  tobacco  you  want  ?  " 

"  Veil,  now,  master,  p'raps  ye  know  the  'lowance  down 
hat  the  poor-us  vasn't  sich  as  ud  keep  a  body  in  vat  ye'd 
call  satisfyin'  smokin'.  Hi  never  'ad  henough  ter  keep 
down  the  'ankerin'." 

"  I  suppose  that's  so.  You  shall  have  half  of  my 
stock,  and  when  I  go  to  town  again,  I'll  get  you  a  good 
supply.  I  guess  I'll  light  my  pipe,  too,  before  starting  for 
a  walk." 

"  Bless  yer  'art,  master,  ye  makes  a  body  comf'terble, 
Ven  hi  smokes  hi  feels  more  hat  'ome  and  kind  o'  con- 
tented like.  An  hold  'ooman  like  me  haint  got  much 
left  to  comfort  'er  but  'er  pipe." 

"  Jane  !  "  called  Mrs.  Mumpson  sharply  from  the  parlor. 
As  there  was  no  answer,  the  widow  soon  appeared  in  the 
kitchen  door.  Smoking  was  one  of  the  unpardonable 
sins  in  Mrs.  Mumpson's  eyes  ;  and  when  she  saw  Mrs. 
Wiggins  puffing  comfortably  away  and  Holcroft  lighting 
his  pipe,  while  Jane  cleared  the  table,  language  almost 
failed  her.  She  managed  to  articulate,  "  Jane,  this 
atmosphere  is  not  fit  for  you  to  breathe,  on  this  sacred  day. 
I  wish  you  to  share  my  seclusion." 

"  Mrs.  Mumpson,  I  have  told  her  to  help  Mrs.  Wiggins 
in  the  necessary  work,"  Holcroft  interposed. 


I08      HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  Mr.  Holcroft,  you  don't  realize — men  never  do — Jane 
is  my  offspring,  and " 

"  Oh,  if  you  put  it  that  way,  I  shan't  interfere  between 
mother  and  child.  But  I  suppose  you  and  Jane  came 
here  to  work." 

"  If  you  will  enter  the  parlor,  I  will  explain  to  you  fully 
my  views,  and " 

"  Oh,  please  excuse  me  I "  said  Holcroft,  hastily  passing 
out.  "  I  was  just  starting  for  a  walk — I'm  bound  to  have 
one  more  day  to  myself  on  the  old  place,"  he  muttered,  as 
he  bent  his  steps  toward  an  upland  pasture. 

Jane,  seeing  that  her  mother  was  about  to  pounce  upon 
her,  ran  behind  Mrs.  Wiggins,  who  slowly  rose  and  began 
a  progress  toward  the  irate  widow,  remarking  as  she  did 
so,  "  Hi'll  just  shut  the  door  'twixt  ye  and  yer  hoffspring, 
and  then  ye  kin  say  yer  prayers  hon  the  t'other  side." 

Mrs.  Mumpson  was  so  overcome  at  the  turn  affairs  had 
taken  on  this  day,  which  was  to  witness  such  progress  in 
her  plans  and  hopes,  as  to  feel  the  absolute  necessity  of 
a  prolonged  season  of  thought  and  soliloquy,  and  she 
relapsed,  without  further  protest,  into  the  rocking  chair. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

JANE. 

HOLCROFT  was  not  long  in  climbing  to  a  sunny  nook 
whence  he  could  see  not  only  his  farm  and  dwelling,  but 
also  the  Oakville  valley,  and  the  little  white  spire  of  the 
distant  meeting  house.  He  looked  at  this  last-named 
object  wistfully  and  very  sadly.  Mrs.  IMumpson's  tirade 
about  worship  had  been  without  effect,  but  the  memories 
suggested  by  the  church  were  bitter-sweet  indeed.  It 
belonged  to  the  Methodist  denomination,  and  Holcroft 
had  been  taken,  or  had  gone  thither,  from  the  time  of 
his  earliest  recollection.  He  saw  himself  sitting  between 
his  father  and  mother,  a  round-faced  urchin  to  whom 
the  sermon  was  unintelligible,  but  to  whom  little  Bessie 
Jones  in  the  next  pew  was  a  fact,  not  only  intelligible, 
out  very  interesting.  She  would  turn  around  and  stare 
at  him  until  he  smiled,  then  she  would  giggle  until  her 
mother  brought  her  right-about-face  with  considerable 
emphasis.  After  this,  he  saw  the  little  boy— could  it 
have  been  himself? — nodding,  swaying,  and  finally 
slumbering  peacefully,  with  his  head  on  his  mother's 
lap,  until  shaken  into  sufficient  consciousness  to  be  half 
dragged,  half  led,  to  the  door.  Once  in  the  big,  springless 
farm  wagon  he  was  himself  again,  looking  eagerly 
around  to  catch  another  glimpse  of  Bessie  Jones.  Then 
he  was  a  big,  irreverent  boy,  shyly  and  awkwardly  bent 


no  HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

on  mischief  in  the  same  old  meeting  house.  Bessie 
Jones  no  longer  turned  and  stared  at  him,  but  he  exult- 
ingly  discovered  that  he  could  still  make  her  giggle  on 
the  sly.  Years  passed,  and  Bessie  was  his  occasional 
choice  for  a  sleigh-ride  when  the  long  body  of  some 
farm  wagon  was  placed  on  runners,  and  boys  and  girls — 
young  men  and  women,  they  almost  thought  themselves — 
were  packed  in  like  sardines.  Something  like  self- 
reproach  smote  Holcroft  even  now,  remembering  how  he 
had  allowed  his  fancy  much  latitude  at  this  period,  pay- 
ing attention  to  more  than  one  girl  besides  Bessie,  and 
painfully  undecided  which  he  liked  best. 

Then  had  come  the  memorable  year  which  had 
opened  with  a  protracted  meeting.  He  and  Bessie  Jones 
had  passed  under  conviction  at  the  same  time,  and  on 
the  same  evening  had  gone  forward  to  the  anxious  seat. 
From  the  way  in  which  she  sobbed,  one  might  have  sup- 
posed that  the  good,  simple-hearted  girl  had  terrible  bur- 
dens on  her  conscience  ;  but  she  soon  found  hope,  and 
her  tears  gave  place  to  smiles.  Holcroft,  on  the  con- 
trary, was  terribly  cast  down  and  unable  to  find  relief. 
He  felt  that  he  had  much  more  to  answer  for  than 
Bessie ;  he  accused  himself  of  having  been  a  rather 
coarse,  vulgar  boy  ;  he  had  made  fun  of  sacred  things  in 
that  very  meeting  house  more  times  than  he  liked  to 
tiiink  of,  and  now  for  some  reason  could  think  of  nothing 
else.  He  could  not  shed  tears  or  get  up  much  emotion  ; 
neither  could  he  rid  himself  of  the  dull  weight  at  heart. 
The  minister,  the  brethren  and  sisters,  prayed  for  him 
and  over  him,  but  nothing  removed  his  terrible  inertia. 
He  became  a  familiar  form  on  the  anxious  seat,  for  there 
was  a  dogged  persistence  in  his  nature  which  prevented 
him  from  giving  up ;  but  at  the  close  of  each  meeting  he 


JANE.  1 1 1 

went  home  in  a  state  of  deeper  dejection.  Sometimes, 
in  returning-,  he  was  Bessie  Jones'  escort,  and  her  happi- 
ness added  to  his  gall  and  bitterness.  One  moonlight 
night  they  stopped  under  the  shadow  of  a  pine  near  her 
father's  door,  and  talked  over  the  matter  a  few  moments 
before  parting.  Bessie  was  full  of  sympathy  which  she 
hardly  knew  how  to  express.  Unconsciously,  in  her 
earnestness — how  well  he  remembered  the  act ! — she 
laid  her  hand  on  his  arm  as  she  said,  "  James,  I  guess  I 
know  what's  the  trouble  with  you.  In  all  your  seeking 
you  are  thinking  only  of  yourself — how  bad  you've  been, 
and  all  that.  I  wouldn't  think  of  myself  and  what  I  was 
any  more,  if  I  was  you.  You  aint  so  awful  bad,  James, 
that  I'd  turn  a  cold  shoulder  to  you;  but  you  miglU 
tiiink  I  was  doing  just  that  if  ye  stayed  away  from  me 
and  kept  saying  to  yourself,  '  I  aint  fit  to  speak  to  Bessie 
Jones.'" 

Her  face  had  looked  sweet  and  compassionate,  and 
her  touch  upon  his  arm  had  conveyed  the  subtle  magic 
of  sympathy.  Under  her  homely  logic,  the  truth  had 
burst  upon  him  like  sunshine.  In  brief,  he  had  turned 
from  his  own  shadow  and  was  in  the  light.  He  remem- 
bered how  in  his  deep  feeling  he  had  bowed  his  head  on 
her  shoulder  and  murmured,  "  Oh,  Bessie,  Heaven  bless 
you  !     I  see  it  all." 

He  no  longer  went  to  the  anxious  seat.  With  this 
young  girl,  and  many  others,  he  was  taken  into  the 
church  on  probation.  Thereafter,  his  fancy  never 
wandered  again,  and  there  was  no  other  girl  in  Oakville 
for  him  but  Bessie.  In  due  time,  he  had  gone  with  her 
to  yonder  meeting  house  to  be  married.  It  had  all 
seemed  to  come  about  as  a  matter  of  course.  He 
scarcely  knew  when  he  became  formally  engaged.     They 


112     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

*'  kept  company "  together  steadfastly  for  a  suitable 
period,  and  that  seemed  to  settle  it  in  their  own  and 
everybody  else's  mind. 

There  had  been  no  change  in  Bessie's  quiet,  constant 
soul.  After  her  words  under  the  shadow  of  the  pine 
tree  she  seemed  to  find  it  difficult  to  speak  of  religious 
subjects,  even  to  her  husband  ;  but  her  simple  faith  had 
been  unwavering,  and  she  had  entered  into  rest  without 
fear  or  misgiving. 

Not  so  her  husband.  He  had  his  spiritual  ups  and 
downs,  but,  like  herself,  was  reticent.  While  she  lived, 
only  a  heavy  storm  kept  them  from  "  going  to  meeting," 
but  with  Holcroft  worship  was  often  little  more  than  a 
form,  his  mind  being  on  the  farm  and  its  interests. 
Parents  and  relatives  had  died,  and  the  habit  of  seclusion 
from  neighborhood  and  church  life  had  grown  upon 
them  gradually  and  almost  unconsciously. 

For  a  long  time  after  his  wife's  death  Holcroft  had 
felt  that  he  did  not  wish  to  see  anyone  who  would  make 
references  to  his  loss.  He  shrunk  from  formal  condo- 
lences as  he  v/ould  from  the  touch  of  a  diseased  neiTC. 
When  the  minister  called,  he  listened  politely  but  silently 
to  a  general  exhortation;  then  muttered,  when  left  alone, 
"  It's  all  as  he  says,  I  suppose  ;  but  somehow  hiswords  are 
like  the  medicines  Bessie  took — they  don't  do  any  good." 

He  kept  up  the  form  of  his  faith  and  a  certain  vague 
hope  until  the  night  on  which  he  drove  forth  the  Irish 
revelers  from  his  home.  In  remembrance  of  his  rage 
and  profanity  on  that  occasion,  he  silently  and  in  dreary 
misgiving  concluded  that  he  should  not,  even  to  himself, 
keep  up  the  pretense  of  religion  any  longer.  "  I've 
fallen  from  grace— that  is,  if  I  ever  had  any  " — was  a 
thought  which  did  much  to  rob  him  of  courage  to  meet 


JANE.  113 

his  other  trials.  Whenever  he  dwelt  on  these  subjects, 
doubts,  perplexities,  and  resentment  at  his  misfortunes  so 
thronged  his  mind  that  he  was  appalled  ;  so  he  strove  to 
occupy  himself  with  the  immediate  present, 

To-day,  however,  in  recalling  the  past,  his  thoughts 
would  question  the  future  and  the  outcome  of  his  experi- 
ences. In  accordance  with  his  simple,  downright  nature, 
he  muttered,  "  I  might  as  well  face  the  truth  and  have 
done  with  it.  I  don't  know  whether  I'll  ever  see  my 
wife  again  or  not ;  I  don't  know  whether  God  is  for  me 
or  against  me.  Sometimes,  I  half  think  there  isn't  any 
God.  I  don't  know  what  will  become  of  me  when  I 
die.  I'm  sure  of  only  one  thing — while  I  do  live  I 
could  take  comfort  in  working  the  old  place." 

In  brief,  without  ever  having  heard  of  the  term,  he  was 
an  agnostic,  but  not  one  of  the  self-complacent,  superior 
type  who  fancy  that  they  have  developed  themselves 
beyond  the  trammels  of  faith  and  are  ever  ready  to  make 
the  world  aware  of  their  progress. 

At  last  he  recognized  that  his  long  reverie  was  leading 
to  despondency  and  weakness  ;  he  rose,  shook  himself 
half  angrily,  and  strode  toward  the  house.  "I'm  here, 
and  here  I'm  going  to  stay,"  he  growled.  "  As  long  as 
I'm  on  my  own  land,  it's  nobody's  business  what  I  am  or 
how  I  feel.  If  I  can't  get  decent,  sensible  women  help, 
I'll  close  up  my  dairy  and  live  here  alone.  I  certainly 
can  make  enough  to  support  myself." 

Jane  met  him  with  a  summons  to  dinner,  looking 
apprehensively  at  his  stern,  gloomy  face.  Mrs.  Mump- 
son  did  not  appear.     "  Call  her,"  he  said  curtly. 

The  literal  Jane  returned  from  the  parlor  and  said 
unsyrhpathetically,  "  She's  got  a  hank'chif  to  her  eyes  and 
says  she  don't  want  no  dinner." 


114     HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE, 

"  Very  well,"  he  replied,  much  relieved. 

Apparently  he  did  not  want  much  dinner,  either,  for 
he  soon  started  out  again.  Mrs.  Wiggins  was  not  utterly 
wanting  in  the  intuitions  of  her  sex,  and  said  nothing  to 
break  in  upon  her  master's  abstraction. 

In  the  afternoon  Holcroft  visited  every  nook  and  cor- 
ner of  his  farm,  laying  out,  he  hoped,  so  much  occupa- 
tion for  both  hands  and  thoughts  as  to  render  him  proof 
against  domestic  tribulations. 

He  had  not  been  gone  long  before  Mrs.  Mumpson 
called  in  a  plaintive  voice,  •'  Jane  !  " 

The  child  entered  the  parlor  warily,  keeping  open  a 
line  of  retreat  to  the  door.  "  You  need  not  fear  me," 
said  her  mother,  rocking  pathetically.  "  My  feelings  are 
so  hurt  and  crushed  that  I  can  only  bemoan  the  wrongs 
from  which  I  suffer.  You  little  know,  Jane,  you  little 
know  a  mother's  heart." 

"No,"  assented  Jane.  "  I  dunno  nothin'  about  it." 

"What  wonder,  then,  that  I  weep,  when  even  my 
child  is  so  unnatural !  " 

"  I  dunno  how  to  be  anything  else  but  what  I  be," 
replied  the  girl  in  self-defense. 

"  If  you  would  only  yield  more  to  my  guidance  and 
influence,  Jane,  the  future  might  be  brighter  for  us  both. 
If  you  had  but  stored  up  the  Fifth  Commandment  in 
memory — but  I  forbear.  You  cannot  so  far  forget  your 
duty  as  not  to  tell  me  how  he  behaved  at  dinner." 

"  He  looked  awful  glum,  and  hardly  said  a  word." 

"  Ah-h  I  "  exclaimed  the  widow,  "  the  spell  is  working," 

"  If  you  aint  a-workin'  to-morrow,  there'll  be  a  worse 
spell,"  the  girl  remarked. 

"  That  will  do,  Jane,  that  will  do.  You  little  under- 
stand—how should  you  ?     Please  keep  an  eye  on  him, 


JANE.  115 

and  let  me  know  how  he  looks  and  what  he  is  doing,  and 
whether  his  face  still  wears  a  gloomy  or  a  penitent  aspect. 
Do  as  I  bid  you,  Jane,  and  you  may  unconsciously  secure 
your  own  well-being  by  obedience." 

Watching  anyone  was  a  far  more  congenial  task  to 
the  child  than  learning  the  Commandments,  and  she  has- 
tened to  comply.  Moreover,  she  had  the  strongest 
curiosity  in  regard  to  Holcroft  herself.  She  felt  that  he 
was  the  arbiter  of  her  fate.  So  untaught  was  she  that 
delicacy  and  tact  were  unknown  qualities.  Her  one 
hope  of  pleasing  was  in  work.  She  had  no  power  of 
guessing  that  sly  espionage  would  counterbalance  such 
service.  Another  round  of  visiting  was  dreaded  above 
all  things  ;  she  was,  therefore,  exceedingly  anxious  about 
the  future.  ''  Mother  may  be  right,"  she  thought. 
"  P'raps  she  can  make  him  marry  her,  so  we  needn't  go 
away  any  more.  P'raps  she's  taken  the  right  way  to 
bring  a  man  around  and  get  him  hooked,  as  Cousin 
Lemuel  said.  If  I  was  goin'  to  hook  a  man  though,  I'd 
try  another  plan  than  mother's.  I'd  keep  my  mouth  shut 
and  my  eyes  open.  I'd  see  what  he  wanted  and  do  it, 
even  'fore  he  spoke.  'Fi's  big  anuf  I  bet  I  could  hook  a 
man  quicker'n  she  can  by  usin  her  tongue  'stead  of  her 
hands." 

Jane's  scheme  was  not  so  bad  a  one  but  that  it  might 
be  tried  to  advantage  by  those  so  disposed.  Her  matri- 
monial prospects,  however,  being  still  far  in  the  future,  it 
behooved  her  to  make  her  present  existence  as  tolerable 
as  possible.  She  knew  how  much  depended  on  Holcroft, 
and  was  unaware  of  any  other  method  of  learning  his 
purposes  except  that  of  watching  him.  Both  fearing  and 
fascinated,  she  dogged  his  steps  most  of  the  afternoon, 
but  saw  nothing  to  confirm  her  mother's  view  that  any 


Ii6     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

spell  was  working.  She  scarcely  understood  why  he 
looked  so  long  at  field,  thicket,  and  woods,  as  if  he  saw 
something  invisible  to  her. 

In  planning  future  work  and  improvements,  the  farmer 
had  attained  a  quieter  and  more  genial  frame  of  mind. 
When,  therefore,  he  sat  down  and  in  glancing  about  saw 
Jane  crouching  behind  a  low  hemlock,  he  was  more 
amused  than  irritated.  He  had  dwelt  on  his  own  inter- 
ests so  long  that  he  was  ready  to  consider  even  Jane's  for 
a  while.  "  Poor  child  !  "  he  thought,"  she  doesn't  know 
any  better  and  perhaps  has  even  been  taught  to  do  such 
things.  I  think  I'll  surprise  her  and  draw  her  out  a  little. 
•'Jane,  come  here,"  he  called. 

The  girl  sprang  to  her  feet,  and  hesitated  whether  to 
fly  or  obey.  "Don't  be  afraid,"  added  Holcroft.  "I 
won't  scold  you.     Come  !  " 

She  stole  toward  him  like  some  small,  wild,  fearful 
animal  in  doubt  of  its  reception.  "  Sit  down  there  on 
that  rock,"  he  said. 

She  obeyed  with  a  sly,  sidelong  look,  and  he  saw  that 
she  kept  her  feet  gathered  under  her  so  as  to  spring  away 
if  he  made  the  slightest  hostile  movement. 

*'  Jane,  do  you  think  it's  right  to  watch  people  so  }  " 
he  asked  gravely. 

*'  She  told  me  to.' 

•'  Your  mother  ?  " 

The  girl  nodded. 

"  But  do  you  think  it's  right  yourself  ?  " 

"  Dunno.     'Taint  best  if  you  get  caught." 

*'  Well,  Jane,"  said  Holcroft,  with  something  like  a 
smile  lurking  in  his  deep-set  eyes,  "  I  don't  think  it's 
right  at  all.  I  don't  want  you  to  watch  me  any  more,  no 
matter  who  tells  you  to.     Will  you  promise  not  to  ?  " 


JANE.  117 

The  child  nodded.  She  seemed  averse  to  speaking 
when  a  sign  would  answer, 

"  Can  I  go  now  ?  "  she  asked  after  a  moment. 

"  Not  yet.  I  want  to  ask  you  some  questions.  Was 
anyone  ever  kird  to  you  ?  " 

"  I  dunno.     1  suppose  so." 

"  What  would  you  call  being  kind  to  you  }  " 

"  Not  scoldin'  or  cuffin'  me." 

"  If  I  didn't  scold  or  strike  you,  would  you  think  I  was 
kind,  then  ?  " 

She  nodded ;  but  after  a  moment's  thought,  said, 
*'  And  if  you  didn't  look  as  if  you  hated  to  see  me  round." 

"  Do  you  think  I've  been  kind  to  you  ?  " 

"  Kinder'n  anybody  else.  You  sorter  look  at  me  some- 
times as  if  I  was  a  rat.  I  don't  s'pose  you  can  help  it. 
and  I  don't  mind.  I'd  ruther  stay  here  and  work  than 
go  a-visitin'  again.  Why  can't  I  work  out-doors  when 
there's  nothin'  for  me  to  do  in  the  house.''" 

"  Are  you  willing  to  work — to  do  anything  you  can  }" 

Jane  was  not  sufficiently  politic  to  enlarge  on  her 
desire  for  honest  toil  and  honest  bread;  she  merel\ 
nodded.  Holcroft  smiled  as  he  asked,  "  Why  are  you 
so  anxious  to  work  ?  " 

"  'Cause  I  won't  feel  like  a  stray  cat  in  the  house  then. 
I  want  to  be  some'ers  where  I've  a  right  to  be." 

"  Wouldn't  they  let  you  work  down  at  Lemuel 
Weeks'?  "     She  shook  her  head. 

"  Why  not  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  They  said  I  wasn't  honest  ;  they  said  they  couldn't 
trust  me  with  things,  'cause  when  I  was  hungry  I  took 
things  to  eat." 

"  Was  that  the  way  you  were  treated  at  other  places?*' 

"  Mostlv." 


Il8      HE  FELL   IX  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE. 

"Jane,"  asked  Holcroft  very  kindly,  "did  anyone 
ever  kiss  you  ?  " 

"  Mother  used  to  'fore  people.  It  alius  made  me  kinder 
sick." 

Holcroft  shook  his  head  as  if  this  child  was  a  problem 
beyond  him,  and  for  a  time  they  sat  together  in  silence. 
At  last  he  arose  and  said,  "  It's  time  to  go  home.  Now, 
Jane,  don't  follow  me  ;  walk  openly  at  my  side,  and  when 
you  come  to  call  me  at  any  time,  come  openly,  make  a 
noise,  whistle  or  sing  as  a  child  ought.  As  long  as  you 
are  with  me  never  do  anything  on  the  sly,  and  we'll  get 
along  well  enough." 

She  nodded  and  walked  beside  him.  At  last,  as  if 
emboldened  by  his  words,  she  broke  out,  "  Saj--,  if  mother 
married  you,  you  couldn't  send  us  away,  could  you  }  " 

"  Why  do  you  ask  such  a  question  ? "  said  Holcroft, 
frowning. 

"  I  was  a-thinkin' " 

"  Well,"  he  interrupted  sternly,  "  never  think  or  speak 
of  such  things  again." 

The  child  had  a  miserable  sense  that  she  had  angered 
him  ;  she  was  also  satisfied  that  her  mother's  schemes 
would  be  futile,  and  she  scarcely  spoke  again  that  day. 

Holcroft  was  more  than  angry ;  he  was  disgusted. 
That  Mrs.  Mumpson's  design  upon  him  was  so  offen- 
sively open  that  even  this  ignorant  child  understood  it, 
and  was  expected  to  further  it,  caused  such  a  strong 
revulsion  in  his  mind  that  he  half  resolved  to  put  them 
both  in  his  market  wagon  on  the  morrow  and  take  them 
back  to  their  relatives.  His  newly  awakened  sympathy 
for  Jane  quickly  vanished.  If  the  girl  and  her  mother 
had  been  repulsive  from  the  first  they  were  now  hideous, 
in  view  of  their  efforts  to  fasten  themselves  upon  him 


JANE.  119 

permanently.  Fancy,  then,  the  climax  in  his  feelings 
when,  as  they  passed  the  house,  the  front  door  suddenly 
opened  and  Mrs.  Mumpson  emerged  with  clasped  hands 
and  the  exclamation,  "Oh,  how  touching!  just  like 
father  and  child  !" 

Without  noticing  the  remark  he  said  coldly,  as  he 
passed,  "Jane,  go  help  Mrs.  Wiggins  get  supper." 

His  anger  and  disgust  grew  so  strong,  as  he  hastily  did 
his  evening  work,  that  he  resolved  not  to  endanger  his 
self-control  by  sitting  down  within  earshot  of  Mrs. 
Mumpson.  As  soon  as  possible,  therefore,  he  carried 
the  new  stove  to  his  room  and  put  it  up.  The  widov 
tried  to  address  him  as  he  passed  in  and  out,  but  h< 
paid  no  heed  to  her.  At  last,  he  only  paused  lon^ 
enough  at  the  kitchen  door  to  say,  "  Jane,  bring  mr 
some  supper  to  my  room.  Remembei',  you  only  are  tc 
bring  it." 

Bewildered  and  abashed,  Mrs.  Mumpson  rocked  nen' 
ously,  "I  had  looked  for  relentings  this  evening,  ; 
general  softening,"  she  murmured,  "  and  I  don't  under- 
stand his  bearing  toward  me."  Then  a  happy  thought 
struck  her.  "  I  see,  I  see,"  she  cried  softly  and  ecstatic- 
ally :  "he  is  struggling  with  himself;  he  finds  that  he 
must  either  deny  himself  my  society  or  yield  at  once. 
The  end  is  near.'' 

A  little  later  she,  too,  appeared  at  the  kitchen  door 
and  said,  with  serious  sweetness,  "  Jane,  you  can  also 
bring  me  my  supper  to  the  parlor." 

Mrs.  Wiggins  shook  with  mirth  in  all  her  vast  por- 
portions  as  she  remarked,  "  Jane,  ye  can  bring  me  w> 
supper  from  the  stove  to  the  table  'ere,  and  then  vait  hoik 
yeself." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

NOT   WIFE,    BUT   WAIF. 

Tom  Watterly's  horse  was  the  pride  of  his  heart 
It  was  a  bobtailed,  rawboned  animal,  but,  as  Tom 
complacently  remarked  to  Alida,  "  He  can  pass  about 
anything  on  the  road  " — a  boast  that  he  let  no  chance 
escape  of  verifying.  It  was  a  terrible  ordeal  to  the  poor 
woman  to  go  dashing  through  the  streets  in  an  open 
wagon,  feeling  that  every  eye  was  upon  her.  With  head 
bowed  down,  she  employed  her  failing  strength  in  hold- 
ing herself  from  falling  out,  yet  almost  wishing  that  she 
might  be  dashed  against  some  object  that  would  end  her 
wretched  life.  It  finally  occurred  to  Tom  that  the 
woman  at  his  side  might  not,  after  her  recent  expe- 
rience, share  in  his  enthusiasm,  and  he  pulled  up 
remarking,  with  a  rough  effort  at  sympathy,  "  It's  a 
cussed  shame  you've  been  treated  so,  and  as  soon  as 
you're  ready,  I'll  help  you  get  even  with  the  scamp." 

"  I'm  not  well,  sir,"  said  Alida  humbly.  "  I  only  ask 
for  a  quiet  place  where  I  can  rest  till  strong  enough  to 
do  some  kind  of  work." 

"Well,  well,"  said  Tom  kindly,  "don't'  lose  heart. 
We'll  do  the  best  by  you  we  can.  That  aint  saying 
very  much,  though,  for  we're  full  and  running  over." 

He  soon  drew  rein  at  the  poorhouse  door  and  sprang 
out.     "  I — I— feel  strange,"  Alida  gasped. 


NOT    WIFE,    BUT    WAIF.  I2l 

Tom  caught  the  fainting  woman  in  his  arms  and 
shouted,  "  Here,  Bill,  Joe  !  you  lazy  loons,  where  are 
you  ?  " 

Three  or  four  half  wrecks  of  men  shuffled  \£>  his  assist- 
ance, and  together  they  bore  the  unconscious  woman  to 
the  room  which  was  used  as  a  sort  of  hospital.  Somt- 
old  crones  gathered  around  with  such  restoratives  as  they 
had  at  command.  Gradually  the  stricken  woman  revived, 
but  as  the  whole  miserable  truth  came  back,  she  turned 
her  face  to  the  wall  with  a  sinking  of  heart  akin  to 
despair.  At  last,  from  sheer  exhaustion,  feverish  sleep 
ensued,  from  which  she  often  started  with  moans  and  low 
cries.  One  impression  haunted  her — she  was  falling, 
ever  falling  into  a  dark,  bottomless  abyss. 

Hours  passed  in  the  same  partial  stupor,  filled  with 
phantoms  and  horrible  dreams.  Toward  evening,  she 
aroused  herself  mechanically  to  take  the  broth  Mrs. 
Watterly  ordered  her  to  swallow,  then  relapsed  into  the 
same  lethargy.  Late  in  the  night,  she  became  conscious 
that  someone  was  kneeling  at  her  bedside  and  fondling 
her.     She  started  up  with  a  slight  cry. 

"  Don't  be  afraid  ;  it's  only  me, dear,"  said  a  quavering 
voice. 

In  the  dim  rays  of  a  night  lamp,  Alida  saw  an  nia 
woman  with  gray  hair  falling  about  her  face  and  on  her 
night-robe.  At  first,  in  her  confused,  feverish  impres- 
sions, the  poor  waif  was  dumb  with  superstitious  awe, 
and  trembled  between  joy  and  fear.  Could  her  mother 
have  come  to  comfort  her  in  her  sore  extremity  .'* 

"  Put  yer  head  on  me  ould  withered  breast,"  said  the 
apparition,"  an'  ye'll  knowamither's  heart  niver  changes. 
I've  been  a-lookin'  for  ye  and  expectin'  ye  these  long, 
weary  years.     They  said  ye  wouldn't  come  back— that 


12  2     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE, 

I'd  niver  find  ye  ag'in  ;  but  I  knowed  I  wud,  and  here  ye 
are  in  me  arms,  me  darlint.  Don't  draw  away  from  yer 
ould  mither.  Don't  ye  be  afeard  or  'shamed  loike.  No 
matter  what  ye've  done  or  where  ye've  been  or  who  ye've 
been  with,  a  mither's  heart  welcomes  ye  back  jist  the 
same  as  when  yes  were  a  babby  an'  slept  on  me  breast. 
A  mither's  heart  ud  quench  the  fires  o'  hell.  I'd  go  inter 
the  burnin'  flames  o'  the  pit  an'  bear  ye  out  in  me  arms. 
So  niver  fear.  Now  that  I've  found  ye,  ye're  safe.  Ye'll 
not  rin  away  from  me  ag'in.  I'll  hould  ye — I'll  hould  ye 
back,"  and  the  poor  creature  clasped  Alida  with  such 
conclusive  energy  that  she  screamed  from  pain  and 
terror. 

"  Ye  shall  not  get  away  from  me,  ye  shall  not  go  back 
to  evil  ways.  Whist,  whist !  be  aisy  and  let  me  plead  wid 
ye.  Think  how  many  long,  weary  years  I've  looked  for 
ye  and  waited  for  ye.  Niver  have  I  slept  noight  or  day 
in  me  watchin'.  Ye  may  be  so  stained  an'  lost  an'  ruined 
that  the  whole  wourld  will  scorn  ye,  yet  not  yer  mither, 
not  yer  ould  mither.  Oh,  Nora,  Nora,  why  did  ye  rin 
away  from  me  ?  Wasn't  I  koind  ?  No,  no  ;  ye  cannot 
lave  me  ag'in,"  and  she  threw  herself  on  Alida,  whose 
disordered  mind  was  tortured  by  what  she  heard. 
Whether  or  not  it  was  a  more  terrible  dream  than  had  yet 
oppressed  her,  she  scarcely  knew,  but  in  the  excess  of  her 
nervous  horror  she  sent  out  a  cry  that  echoed  in  every 
part  of  the  large  building.  Two  old  women  rushed  in 
and  dragged  Alida's  persecutor  screaming  away. 

"  That's  alius  the  way  o'  it,"  she  shrieked.  "  As  soon 
as  I  find  me  Nora  they  snatches  me  and  carries  me  off, 
?tnd  I  have  to  begin  me  watchin'  and  waitin'  and  lookin' 
ag'in." 

Alida  continued  sobbing  and  trembling  violently.     One 


NOT    WIFE.   BUT    WAIF.  123 

of  the  awakened  patients  sought  to  assure  her  by  saying, 
"  Don't  mind  it  so,  miss.  It's  only  old  crazy  Kate.  Her 
daughter  ran  away  from  her  years  and  years  ago — how 
many  no  one  knows — and  when  a  young  woman's  brought 
here  she  thinks  it's  her  lost  Nora.  They  oughtn't  'a'  let 
her  get  out,  knowin'  you  was  here." 

For  several  days  Alida's  reason  wavered.  The  nervous 
shock  of  her  sad  experiences  had  been  so  great  that  it  did 
not  seem  at  all  improbable  that  she,  like  the  insane 
mother,  might  be  haunted  for  the  rest  of  her  life  by  an 
overwhelming  impression  of  something  lost.  In  her 
morbid,  shaken  mind  she  confounded  the  wrong  she  had 
received  with  guilt  on  her  own  part.  Eventually,  she 
grew  calmer  and  more  sensible.  Although  her  conscience 
acquitted  her  of  intentional  evil,  nothing  could  remove 
the  deep-rooted  conviction  that  she  was  shamed  beyond 
hope  of  remedy.  For  a  time  she  was  unable  to  rally  from 
nervous  prostration  ;  meanwhile,  her  mind  was  preter- 
naturally  active,  presenting  every  detail  of  the  past  until 
she  was  often  ready  to  cry  aloud  in  her  despair. 

Tom  Watterly  took  an  unusual  interest  in  her  case  and 
exhorted  the  visiting  physician  to  do  his  best  for  her. 
She  finally  began  to  improve,  and  with  the  first  return  of 
strength  sought  to  do  something  with  her  feeble  hands. 
The  bread  of  charity  was  not  sweet. 

Although  the  place  in  which  she  lodged  was  clean,  and 
the  coarse,  unvarying  fare  abundant,  she  shrunk  shud- 
dering, with  each  day's  clearer  consciousness,  from  the 
majority  of  those  about  her.  Phases  of  life  of  which  she 
had  scarcely  dreamed  were  the  common  topics  of  con- 
versation. In  her  mother  she  had  learned  to  venerate 
gray  hairs,  and  it  was  an  awful  shock  to  learn  that  so 
many  of  the   feeble  creatures   about   her  were   coarse, 


124     HE  FELL  LN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

^vicked,  and  evil-disposed.  How  could  their  withered 
lips  frame  the  words  they  spoke  ?  How  could  they  dwell 
on  subjects  that  were  profanation,  even  to  such  wrecks 
of  womanhood  as  themselves? 

Moreover,  they  persecuted  her  by  their  curiosity.  The 
good  material  in  her  apparel  had  been  examined  and 
commented  on  ;  her  wedding  ring  had  been  seen  and  its 
absence  soon  noted,  for  Alida,  after  gaining  the  power  to 
recall  the  past  fully,  had  thrown  away  the  metal  lie,  feel- 
ing that  it  was  the  last  link  in  a  chain  binding  her  to  a 
loathed  and  hated  relationship.  Learning  from  their 
questions  that  the  inmates  of  the  almshouse  did  not  know 
her  history,  she  refused  to  reveal  it,  thus  awakening  end- 
less surmises.  Many  histories  were  made  for  her,  the 
beldams  vying  with  each  other  in  constructing  the  worst 
one.  Poor  Alida  soon  learned  that  there  was  public 
opinion  even  in  an  almshouse,  and  that  she  was  under 
its  ban.  In  dreary  despondency  she  thought,  "  They've 
found  out  about  me.  If  such  creatures  as  these  think 
I'm  hardly  fit  to  speak  to,  how  can  I  ever  find  work 
among  good,  respectable  people  ?  " 

Her  extreme  depression,  the  coarse,  vulgar,  and  un- 
charitable natures  by  which  she  was  surrounded,  retarded 
her  recovery.  By  her  efforts  to  do  anything  in  her  power 
for  others  she  disarmed  the  hostility  of  some  of  the 
women,  and  those  that  were  more  or  less  demented 
became  fond  of  her  ;  but  the  majority  probed  her  wound 
by  every  look  and  word.  She  was  a  saint  compared  with 
any  of  these,  yet  they  made  her  envy  their  respectability. 
She  often  thought,  "  Would  to  God  that  I  was  as  old  and 
ready  to  die  as  the  feeblest  woman  here,  if  I  could  only 
hold  up  my  head  like  her  !  " 

One  dnv  a  woman  who  had  a  chid   left  it  sleeping  in 


NOT    WIFE,   BUT    WAIF.  125 

its  rude  wooden  cradle  and  went  downstairs.  The  babe 
wakened  and  began  to  cry.  Alida  took  it  up  and  found 
a  strange  solace  in  rocking  it  to  sleep  again  upon  her 
breast.  At  last  the  mother  returned,  glared  a  moment 
into  Alida's  appealing  eyes,  then  snatched  the  child  away 
with  the  cruel  words,  "  Don't  ye  touch  my  baby  ag'in  ! 
To  think  it  ud  been  in  the  arms  o'  the  loikes  o'  ye  I  " 

Alida  went  away  and  sobbed  until  her  strength  was 
gone.  She  found  that  there  were  some  others  ostracised 
like  herself,  but  they  accepted  their  positions  as  a  matter 
of  course — as  if  it  belonged  to  them  and  was  the  least  of 
their  troubles. 

Her  strength  was  returning,  yet  she  was  still  feeble 
when  she  sent  for  Mrs.  Watterly  and  asked,  "  Do  you 
think  I'm  strong  enough  to  take  a  place  somewhere  ?  " 

"  You  ought  to  know  that  better  than  me,"  was  the 
chilly  reply. 

"  Do  you — do  you  think  I  could  get  a  place  ?  I  would 
be  willing  to  do  any  kind  of  honest  work  not  beyond  my 
strength." 

"  You  hardly  look  able  to  sit  up  straight.  Better  wait 
till  you're  stronger.  I'll  tell  my  husband.  If  applications 
come,  he'll  see  about  it,"  and  she  turned  coldly  away. 

A  day  or  two  later  Tom  came  and  said  brusquely,  but 
not  unkindly,  "  Don't  like  my  hotel,  hey  ?  What  can  you 
do  ?  " 

"  I'm  used  to  sewing,  but  I'd  try  to  do  almost  anything 
by  which  I  could  earn  my  living." 

"  Best  thing  to  do  is  to  prosecute  that  scamp  and  make 
him  pay  you  a  good  round  sum." 

She  shook  her  head  decidedly.  "  I  don't  wish  to  see 
him  again.  I  don't  wish  to  go  before  people  and  have 
the — the — past  talked  about,     I'd  like  a  place  with  some 


126      HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

kind,  quiet  people  who  keep  no  other  help.  Perhaps 
they  wouldn't  take  me  if  they  knew ;  but  I  would  be  so 
faithful  to  them,  and  try  so  hard  to  learn  what  they 
wanted " 

"  That's  all  nonsense,  their  not  taking  you.  I'll  find 
you  a  place  some  day,  but  you're  not  strong  enough  yet. 
You'd  be  brought  right  back  here.  You're  as  pale  as  a 
ghost — almost  look  like  one.  So  don't  be  impatient,  but 
give  me  a  chance  to  find  you  a  good  place.  I  feel  sorry 
for  you,  and  don't  want  you  to  get  among  folks  that  have 
no  feelings.  Don't  you  worry  now  ;  chirk  up,  and  you'll 
come  out  all  right." 

"  I — I  think  that  if — if  I'm  employed,  the  people  who 
take  me  ought  to  know,"  said  Alida  with  bowed  head. 

"  They'll  be  blamed  fools  if  they  don't  think  more  of 
you  when  they  do  know,"  was  his  response.  "  Still,  that 
shall  be  as  you  please.  I've  told  only  my  wife,  and 
they've  kept  mum  at  the  police  station,  so  the  thing 
hasn't  got  into  the  papers." 

Alida's  head  bowed  lower  still  as  she  replied,  "  I  thank 
you.  My  only  wish  now  is  to  find  some  quiet  place  in 
which  I  can  work  and  be  left  to  myself." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Tom  good-naturedly.  "  Cheer  up  ! 
I'll  be  on  the  lookout  for  you." 

She  turned  to  the  window,  near  which  she  was  sitting, 
to  hide  the  tears  which  his  rough  kindness  evoked.  "  He 
don't  seem  to  shrink  from  me  as  if  I  wasn't  fit  to  be 
spoken  to,"  she  thought ;  "  but  his  Vv'ife  did.  I'm  afraid 
people  won't  take  me  when  they  know." 

The  April  sunshine  poured  in  at  the  window  ;  the  grass 
was  becoming  green  ;  a  robin  alighted  on  a  tree  near  by 
and  poured  out  a  jubilant  song.  For  a  IFew  moments 
hope,  that  had  been  almost  dead  in  her  heart,  revived.     As 


NOT    WIFE,    BUT    WAIF.  127 

she  looked  gratefully  at  the  bird,  thanking  it  in  her  heart 
for  the  song,  it  darted  upon  a  string  hanging  on  an  adja- 
cent spray  and  bore  it  to  a  crotch  between  two  boughs. 
Then  Alida  saw  it  was  building  a  nest.  Her  woman's 
heart  gave  way.  "  Oh,"  she  moaned,  "  I  shall  never  have 
a  home  again  !  no  place  shared  by  one  who  cares  forme. 
To  work,  and  to  be  tolerated  for  the  sake  of  my  work,  is 
all  that's  left." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A  PITCHED   BATTLE. 

It  was  an  odd  household  under  Holcroft's  roof  on  the 
evening  of  the  Sunday  we  have  described.  The  farmer, 
in  a  sense,  had  "  taken  sanctuary  "  in  his  own  room,  that 
he  might  escape  the  maneuvering  wiles  of  his  tormenting 
housekeeper.  If  she  would  content  herself  with  general 
topics  he  would  try  to  endure  her  foolish,  high-flown 
talk  until  the  three  months  expired ;  but  that  she  should 
speedily  and  openly  take  the  initiative  in  matrimonial  de- 
signs was  proof  of  such  an  unbalanced  mind  that  he  was 
filled  with  nervous  dread.  "  Hanged  if  one  can  tell  what 
such  a  silly,  hairbrained  woman  will  do  next ! "  he 
thought,  as  he  brooded  by  the  fire.  "Sunday  or  no 
Sunday,  I  feel  as  if  I'd  like  to  take  my  horsewhip  and 
give  Lemuel  Weeks  a  piece  of  my  mind." 

Such  musings  did  not  promise  well  for  Mrs.  Mumpson, 
scheming  in  the  parlor  below  ;  but,  as  we  have  seen,  she 
had  the  faculty  of  arranging  all  future  events  to  her 
mind.  That  matters  had  not  turned  out  in  the  past  as 
she  had  expected,  counted  for  nothing.  She  was  one 
who  could  not  be  taught,  even  by  experience.  The  most 
insignificant  thing  in  Holcroft's  dwelling  had  not  escaped 
her  scrutiny  and  pretty  accurate  guess  as  to  value,  yet 
she  could  not  see  or  understand  the  intolerable  disgust 
and  irritation  which  her  ridiculous  conduct  excited.     In 


A    PITCHED   BATTLE.  129 

a  weak  mind  egotism  and  selfishness,  beyond  a  certain 
point,  pass  into  practical  insanity.  All  sense  of  delicacy^ 
of  the  fitness  of  things,  is  lost ;  even  the  power  to  con- 
sider the  rights  and  feelings  of  others  is  wanting.  Unlike 
poor  Holcroft,  Mrs.  Munipson  had  few  misgivings  in  re- 
gard to  coming  years.  As  she  rocked  unceasingly  before 
the  parlor  fire,  she  arranged  everything  in  regard  to  his 
future  as  well  as  her  own. 

Jane,  quite  forgotten,  was  oppressed  with  a  miserable 
presentim'ent  of  evil.  Her  pinched  but  intense  little  mind 
was  concentrated  on  two  facts— Holcroft's  anger  and  her 
mother's  lack  of  sense.  From  such  premises  it  did  not 
take  her  long  to  reason  out  but  one  conclusion — "  visitin"" 
again  ";  and  this  was  the  summing  up  of  all  evils.  Now 
and  then  a  tear  would  force  its  way  out  of  one  of  hei 
little  eyes,  but  otherwise  she  kept  her  troubles  to  herself 

Mrs.  Wiggins  was  the  only  complacent  personage  ir 
the  house,  and  she  unbent  with  a  garrulous  affability  tc 
Jane,  which  could  be  accounted  for  in  but  one  way — 
Holcroft  had  forgotten  about  his  cider  barrel,  thereby 
unconsciously  giving  her  the  chance  to  sample  its  con- 
tents freely.  She  was  now_  smoking  her  pipe  with  much 
content,  and  indulging  in  pleasing  reminiscences  which 
the  facts  of  her  life  scarcely  warranted. 

"  Ven  hi  vas  as  leetle  a  gal  as  ye  are,"  she  began,  and 
then  she  related  experiences  quite  devoid  of  the  simplicity 
and  innocence  of  childhood.  The  girl  soon  forgot  her 
fears  and  listened  with  avidity  until  the  old  dame's  face 
grew  heavier,  if  possible,  with  sleep,  and  she  stumbled 
off  to  bed. 

Having  no  wish  to  see  or  speak  to  her  mother  again, 
the  child  blew  out  the  candle  and  stole  silently  up  the 
stairvv'ay.     At  last  Mrs.  Mumpson  took  her  light  an :"  went 


I30     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

noisily  around,  seeing  to  the  fastenings  of  doors  and 
windows.  "  I  know  he  is  listening  to  every  sound  from 
me,  and  he  shall  learn  what  a  caretaker  I  am,"  she  mur- 
mured softly. 

Once  out  of  doors  in  the  morning,  with  his  foot  on  the 
native  heath  of  his  farm,  Holcroft's  hopefulness  and  cour- 
age always  returned.  He  was  half  angry  with  himself  at 
his  nervous  irritation  of  the  evening  before.  ;*  If  she 
becomes  so  cranky  that  I  can't  stand  her,  I'll  pay  the 
three  months'  wages  and  clear  her  out,"  he  had  con- 
cluded, and  he  went  about  his  morning  work  with  a  grim 
purpose  to  submit  to  very  little  nonsense. 

Cider  is  akin  to  vinegar,  and  IMrs.  Wiggins'  liberal 
potations  of  the  evening  before  had  evidently  imparted  a 
marked  acidity  to  her  temper.  She  laid  hold  of  the 
kitchen  utensils  as  if  she  had  a  spite  against  them,  and 
when  Jane,  confiding  in  her  friendliness  shown  so  recently, 
came  down  to  assist,  she  was  chased  out  of  doors  with 
language  we  forbear  to  repeat.  Mrs.  IMumpson,  there- 
fore, had  no  intimation  of  the  low  state  of  the  barometer 
in  the  region  of  the  kitchen.  "  I  have  taken  time  to 
think  deeply  and  calmly,"  she  murmured.  "  The  proper 
course  has  been  made  clear  to  me.  He  is  somewhat 
uncouth  ;  he  is  silent  and  unable  to  express  his  thoughts 
and  emotions — in  brief,  undeveloped  ;  he  is  awfully  irre- 
ligious. Moth  and  rust  are  busy  in  this  house  ;  much 
that  would  be  so  useful  is  going  to  waste.  He  must  learn 
to  look  upon  me  as  the  developer,  the  caretaker,  a  patient 
and  healthful  embodiment  of  female  influence.  I  will 
now  begin  actively  my  mission  of  making  him  an  orner- 
nient  to  society.  That  mountainous  Mrs.  A'iggins  must 
be  replaced  by  a  deferential  girl  who  will  naturally  look 
up  to  me.     How  can  I  be  a  true  caretaker — how  can  I 


A   PITCHED  BATTLE  131 

bring  repose  and  refinement  to  this  dwelling  with  two 
hundred  pounds  of  fenaale  impudence  in  my  way?  Mr. 
Holcroft  shall  see  that  Mrs.  Viggins  is  an  unseemly  and 
jarring  discord  in  our  home,"  and  she  brought  the  rock- 
ing chair  from  the  parlor  to  the  kitchen,  with  a  serene 
and  lofty  air.     Jane  hovered  near  the  window,  watching. 

At  first,  there  was  an  ominous  silence  in  respect  to 
words.  Portentous  sounds  increased,  however,  for  Mrs. 
Wiggins  strode  about  with  martial  tread,  making  the 
boards  creak  and  the  dishes  clatter,  while  her  red  eyes 
shot  lurid  and  sanguinary  gleams.  She  would  seize  a 
•dipper  as  if  it  were  a  foe,  slamming  it  upon  the  table 
again  as  if  striking  an  enemy.  Under  her  vigorous 
manipulation,  kettles  and  pans  resounded  with  reports 
like  firearms. 

Mrs.  Mumpson  was  evidently  perturbed ;  her  calm 
superiority  was  forsaking  her;  every  moment  she  rocked 
faster — a  sure  indication  that  she  was  not  af  peace.  At 
last  she  said,  with  great  dignity:  "  Mrs.  Viggins,  I  must 
request  you  to  perform  your  tasks  with  less  clamor.  My 
nerves  are  not  equal  to  this  peculiar  way  of  taking  up  and 
laying  down  things." 

"  Veil,  jes'  ye  vait  a  minute,  han  hi'll  show  ye  'o\v  hi 
kin  take  hup  things  han  put  'em  down  hag'in  hout  o'  my 
vay,"  and  before  Mrs.  Mumpson  could  interfere,  she  found 
herself  lifted,  chair  and  all  bodily,  and  carried  to  the  par- 
lor. Between  trepidation  and  anger,  she  could  only  gasp 
during  the  transit,  and  when  left  in  the  middle  of  the 
parlor  floor  she  looked  around  in  utter  bewilderment. 

It  so  happened  that  Holcroft,  on  his  way  from  the 
barn,  had  seen  Jane  looking  in  at  the  window,  and,  sus- 
pecting something  amiss,  had  arrived  just  in  time  for  the 
spectacle.     Convulsed  with  laughter,  he  returned  hastily 


132      HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

to  the  barn  ;  while  Jane  expressed  her  feelings,  whatever 
they  were,  by  executing  something  like  a  hornpipe  before 
the  window. 

Mrs.  Mumpson,  however,  was  not  vanquished.  She 
had  only  made  a  compulsory  retreat  from  the  scene  of 
hostilities ;  and,  after  rallying  her  shattered  faculties,, 
advanced  again  with  the  chair.  "  How  dared  you,  you 
disreputerble  female  ?  "  she  began. 

Mrs.  Wiggins  turned  slowly  and  ominously  upon  her» 
"  Ye  call  me  a  disrupterbul  female  hag'in,  han  ye  vont 
find  hit  'ealthy." 

Mrs.  Mumpson  prudently  backed  toward  the  door 
before  delivering  her  return  fire. 

"  Woman ! "  she  cried,  "  are  you  out  of  your  mind  ? 
Don't  you  know  I'm  housekeeper  here,  and  that  it's  my 
duty  to  superintend  you  and  your  work.?  " 

"  Veil,  then,  hi'll  double  ye  hup  hand  put  ye  hon  the 
shelf  hof  the  dresser  han'  lock  the  glass  door  hon  ye. 
From  hup  there  ye  kin  see  all  that's  goin'  hon  and 
sup'intend  to  yer  'eart's  content,"  and  she  started  for 
her  superior  officer. 

Mrs.  Mumpson  backed  so  precipitately  with  her  chair 
that  it  struck  against  the  door-case,  and  she  sat  down 
hard.  Seeing  that  Mrs.  Wiggins  was  almost  upon  her, 
she  darted  back  into  the  parlor,  leaving  the  chair  as  a 
trophy  in  the  hands  of  her  enemy.  Mrs.  Wiggins  was 
somewhat  appeased  by  this  second  triumph,  and  with  the 
hope  of  adding  gall  and  bitterness  to  Mrs.  Mumpson 's 
defeat,  she  took  the  chair  to  her  rival's  favorite  rocking 
place,  lighted  her  pipe,  and  sat  down  in  grim  com- 
placency. Mrs.  Mumpson  warily  approached  to  recover 
a  support  which,  from  long  habit,  had  become  moral  as 
well  as  physical,  and  her  indignation   knew  no  bounds 


A    PITCHED   BATTLE.  133 

when  she  saw  it  creaking  under  the  weight  of  her  foe.  It 
must  be  admitted,  however,  that  her  ire  was  not  so  great 
that  she  did  not  retain  the  "  better  part  of  valor,''  for  she 
stepped  back,  unlocked  the  front  door,  and  set  it  ajar. 
On  returning,  she  opened  with  a  volubility  that  awed  even 
Mrs.  Wiggins  for  a  moment.  "  You  miserable,  moun- 
tainous pauper;  you  interloper;  you  unrefined,  irrespon- 
serble,  unregenerate  female,  do  you  know  what  you  have 
done  in  thus  outraging  vie?  I'm  a  respecterble  Woman, 
respecterbly  connected.  I'm  here  in  a  responserble  sta- 
tion. When  Mr.  Holcroft  appears  he'll  drive  you  from 
the  dwelling  which  you  vulgarize.  Your  presence  makes 
this  apartment  a  den.     You  are  a  wild  beast " 

"  Hi'm  a  vile  beastes,  ham  hi  ?  "  cried  Mrs.  Wiggins, 
at  last  stung  into  action,  and  she  threw  her  lighted  pipe 
at  the  open  mouth  that  was  discharging  high-sounding 
-epithets  by  the  score. 

It  struck  the  lintel  over  the  widow's  head,  was  shattered, 
and  sent  down  upon  her  a  shower  of  villainously  smelling 
sparks.  Mrs.  Mumpson  shrieked  and  sought  frantically 
to  keep  her  calico  wrapper  from  taking  fire.  Meanwhile, 
Mrs.  Wiggins  rose  and  took  a  step  or  two  that  she  might 
assist  should  there  be  any  positive  danger,  for  she  had 
not  yet  reached  a  point  of  malignity  which  would  lead  her 
to  witness  calmly  an  auto-da-fe.  This  was  Jane's 
opportunity.  Mrs.  Wiggins  had  alienated  this  small  and 
hitherto  friendly  power,  and  now,  with  a  returning  impulse 
of  loyalty,  it  took  sides  with  the  weaker  party.  The 
kitchen  door  was  on  a  crack  ;  the  child  pushed  it  noise- 
lessly open,  darted  around  behind  the  stove,  and  with- 
drew the  rocking  chair. 

Mrs.  Wiggins'  brief  anxiety  and  preoccupation  passed, 
and  she  stepped  backward  again  to  sit  down.     She  did 


134     HE  FELL   AV  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

sit  down,  but  with  such  terrific  force  that  the  stove  and 
nearly  everything  else  in  the  room  threatened  to  fall  with 
her.  She  sat  helplessly  for  a  bewildered  moment,  while 
Jane,  with  the  chair,  danced  before  her  exclaiming, 
tauntingly,  "  That's  for  chasing  me  out  as  if  I  was  a 
cat ! " 

"  Xoo  hi'll  chase  ye  both  hout,"  cried  the  ireful  Wiggins, 
scrambling  to  her  feet.  She  made  good  her  threat,  for 
Holcroft,  a  moment  later,  saw  mother  and  daughter,  the 
latter  carrying  the  chair,  rushing  from  the  front  door,  and 
Mrs.  Wiggins,  armed  with  a  great  wooden  spoon,  wad- 
dling after  them,  her  objurgations  mingling  with  Mrs. 
Mumpson's  shrieks  and  Jane's  shrill  laughter.  The 
widow  caught  a  glimpse  of  him  standing  in  the  barn  door, 
and,  as  if  borne  by  the  wind,  she  flew  toward  him,  crying, 
"  He  shall  be  my  protector  I  " 

He  barely  had  time  to  whisk  through  a  side  door  and 
close  it  after  him.  The  widow's  impetuous  desire  to  pant 
out  the  story  of  her  wrongs  carried  her  into  the  midst  of 
the  barnyard,  where  she  was  speedily  confronted  by  an 
unruly  young  heifer  that  could  scarcely  be  blamed  for 
hostility  to  such  a  wild-looking  object. 

The  animal  shook  its  head  threateningly  as  it  advanced. 
Again  the  widow's  shrieks  resounded.  This  time  Hol- 
croft  was  about  to  come  to  the  rescue,  when  the  be- 
leaguered woman  made  a  dash  for  the  top  of  the  nearest 
fence,  reminding  her  amused  looker-on  of  the  night  of 
her  arrival  when  she  had  perched  like  some  strange  sort 
of  bird  on  the  wagon  wheel. 

Seeing  that  she  was  abundantly  able  to  escape  alone, 
the  farmer  remained  in  concealment.  Although  dis- 
gusted and  angry  at  the  scenes  taking  place,  he  was 
scarcely   able   to    restrain    roars   of    laughter.     Perched 


A   PITCHED  BATTLE.  135 

upon  the  fence,  the  widow  called  piteously  for  him  to  lift 
her  down,  but  he  was  not  to  be  caught  by  any  such  de- 
vice. At  last,  giving  up  hope  and  still  threatened  by  the 
heifer,  she  went  over  on  the  other  side.  Knowing  that  she 
must  make  a  detour  before  reaching  the  dwelling,  Hol- 
croft  went  thither  rapidly  with  the  purpose  of  restoring 
order  at  once.  "  Jane,"  he  said  sternly,  "  take  that  chair 
to  the  parlor  and  leave  it  there.  Let  there  be  no  more 
such  nonsense." 

At  his  approach,  Mrs.  Wiggins  had  retreated  sullenly 
to  the  kitchen.  "  Come,"  he  ordered  good-naturedly, 
*'  hasten  breakfast  and  let  there  be  no  more  quarreling." 

"  Hif  hi  vas  left  to  do  me  work  hin  peace "  she 

began. 

"  Well,  you  shall  do  it  in  peace." 

At  this  moment  Mrs.  Munipson  came  tearing  in,  quite 
oblivious  of  the  fact  that  she  had  left  a  goodly  part  of 
her  calico  skirt  on  a  nail  of  the  fence.  She  was  rushing 
toward  Holcroft,  when  he  said  sternly,  and  with  a  repel- 
lent gesture,  "  Stop  and  listen  to  me.  If  there's  any 
more  of  this  quarreling  like  cats  and  dogs  in  my  house, 
I'll  send  for  the  constable  and  have  you  all  arrested.  If 
you  are  not  all  utterly  demented  and  hopeless  fools,  you 
will  know  that  you  came  here  to  do  my  work,  and  noth- 
ing else."  Then  catching  a  glimpse  of  Mrs.  Mumpson's 
dress,  and  fearing  he  should  laugh  outright,  he  turned 
abruptly  on  his  heel  and  went  to  his  room,  where  he 
was  in  a  divided  state  between  irrepressible  mirth  and 
vexation. 

Mrs.  Mumpson  also  fled  to  her  room.  She  felt  that 
the  proper  course  for  her  at  this  juncture  was  a  fit  of 
violent  hysterics  ;  but  a  prompt  douche  from  the  water 
pitcher,  administered  by  the  unsympathetic  Jane,  effectu- 


136     HE  FELL  LiV  LOVE    WLTH  HIS    WIFE. 

ally  checked  the  first  symptoms,     "  Was  ever  a  respect- 

erble  woman " 

"You  aint  respectable,"  interrupted  the  girl,  as  she 
departed,  "  you  look  like  a  scarecrow.  Ti's  you  I'd  be- 
gin to  show  some  sense  now." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

"WHAT   /S  TO    BECOME   OF   ME?" 

Holcroft's  reference  to  a  constable  and  arrest, 
though  scarcely  intended  to  be  more  than  a  vague 
threat,  had  the  effect  of  clearing  the  air  like  a  clap 
of  thunder.  Jane  had  never  lost  her  senses,  such  as  she 
possessed,  and  Mrs.  Wiggins  recovered  hers  sufficiently 
to  apologize  to  the  farmer  when  he  came  down  to  break- 
fast. "  But  that  Mumpson's  hawfully  haggravatin',  mas- 
ter, as  ye  know  yeself,  hi'm  a-thinkin'.  Vud  ye  jis  tell  a 
body  vat  she  is  'ere,  han  'ow  hi'm  to  get  hon  vith  'er. 
Hif  hi'm  to  take  me  borders  from  'er  hi'd  ruther  go  back 
to  the  poor-'us." 

"  You  are  to  take  your  orders  from  me  and  no  one 
else.  All  I  ask  is  that  you  go  on  quietly  with  your  work 
and  pay  no  attention  to  her.  You  know  well  enough 
that  I  can't  have  such  goings  on.  I  want  you  to  let  Jane 
help  you  and  learn  her  to  do  everything  as  far  as  she  can. 
Mrs.  Mumpson  can  do  the  mending  and  ironing,  I  sup- 
pose. At  any  rate,  I  won't  have  any  more  quarreling 
and  uproar.  I'm  a  quiet  man  and  intend  to  have  a  quiet 
house.  You  and  Jane  can  get  along  very  well  in  the 
kitchen,  and  you  say  you  understand  the  dairy  work." 

"  Veil  hi  does,  han  noo  hi've  got  me  borders  hi'll  go 
right  along," 

Mrs.  Mumpson  was  like  one  who   had   been   rudely 


138      HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

shaken  out  of  a  dream,  and  she  appeared  to  have  sense 
enough  to  reahze  that  she  couldn't  assume  so  much  at 
first  as  she  anticipated.  She  received  from  Jane  a  cup 
of  coffee,  and  said  feebly,  "  I  can  partake  of  no  more 
after  the  recent  trying  events." 

For  some  hours  she  was  a  little  dazed,  but  her  mind 
was  of  too  light  weight  to  be  long  cast  down.  Jane  re- 
hearsed Holcroft's  words,  described  his  manner,  and 
sought  with  much  insistence  to  show  her  mother  that 
she  must  drop  her  nonsense  at  once.  "  I  can  see  it  in 
his  eye,"  said  the  girl,  "  that  he  won't  stand  much  more. 
If  yer  don't  come  down  and  keep  yer  hands  busy  and 
yer  tongue  still,  we'll  tramp.  As  to  his  marrying  you, 
bah  !  he'd  jes'  as  soon  marry  Mrs.  Wiggins." 

This  was  awful  prose,  but  Mrs.  ]\Iumpson  was  too  be- 
wildered and  discouraged  for  a  time  to  dispute  it,  and  the 
household  fell  into  a  somewhat  regular  routine.  The 
widow  appeared  at  her  meals  with  the  air  of  a  meek  and 
suffering  martyr  ;  Holcroft  was  exceedingly  brief  in  his 
replies  to  her  questions,  and  paid  no  heed  to  her  remarks. 
After  supper  and  his  evening  work,  he  went  directly  to 
his  room.  Every  day,  however,  he  secretly  chafed,  with 
ever-increasing  discontent,  over  this  tormenting  presence 
in  his  house.  The  mending  and  such  work  as  she  at- 
tempted was  so  wretchedly  performed  that  it  would  bet- 
ter have  been  left  undone.  She  was  also  recovering  her 
garrulousness,  and  mistook  his  toleration  and  her  immu- 
nity in  the  parlor  for  proof  of  a  growing  consideration. 
"  He  knows  that  my  hands  were  never  made  for  such 
coarse,  menial  tasks  as  that  Viggins  does,"  she  thought, 
as  she  darned  one  of  his  stockings  in  a  way  that  would 
render  it  almost  impossible  for  him  to  put  his  foot  into  it 
again.     "  The  events  of  last  Monday  morning  were  un- 


,  "  WHAT  IS    TO  BECOME   OF  ME?"        I39°- 

fortunate,  unforeseen,  unprecedented.     I  was  unpreparevi 
for  such   vulgar,  barbarous,   unheard-of  proceedings — 
taken  off  my  feet,  as  it  were;  but  now  that  he's  had. 
time  to  think  it  all  over,  he  sees  that  I  am  not  a  common 
woman  like  Viggins," — Mrs.  Mumpson  would  have  suf- 
fered rather  than  have  accorded  her  enemy  the  prefix  of 

Mrs., "  who  is  only  fit  to  be  among  pots  and  kettles.. 

He  leaves  me  in  the  parlor  as  if  a  refined  apartment  be- 
came me  and  I  became  it.  Time  and  my  influence  will, 
mellow,  soften,  elevate,  develop,  and  at  last  awaken  a- 
desire  for  my  society,  then  yearnings.  My  first  error 
was  in  not  giving  myself  time  to  make  a  proper  impres- 
sion. He  will  soon  begin  to  yield  like  the  earth  without. 
First  it  is  hard  and  frosty,  then  it  is  cold  and  muddy,  if  1 
may  permit  myself  so  disagreeable  an  illustration.  Now 
he  is  becoming  mellow,  and  soon  every  word  I  utter  will 
be  like  good  seed  in  good  ground.  How  aptly  it  all  fits! 
I  have  only  to  be  patient." 

She  was  finally  left  almost  to  utter  idleness,  for  Jane 
and  Mrs.  Wiggins  gradually  took  from  the  incompetent 
hands  even  the  light  tasks  which  she  had  attempted. 
She  made  no  protest,  regarding  all  as  another  proof  that 
Holcroft  was  beginning  to  recognize  her  superiority  anf) 
unfitness  for  menial  tasks.  She  would  maintain,  how- 
ever, her  character  as  the  caretaker  and  ostentatiously 
inspected  everything  ;  she  also  tried  to  make  as  much 
noise  in  fastening  up  the  dwelling  at  night  as  if  she  were 
barricading  a  castle.  Holcroft  would  listen  grimly,  we]l 
aware  that  no  house  had  been  entered  in  Oakville  during- 
his  memory.  He  had  taken  an  early  occasion  to  say  zX. 
the  table  that  he  wished  no  one  to  enter  his  room  except 
Jane,  and  that  he  would  not  permit  any  infringement  of 
this  rule.     Mrs.  Mumpson's  feelings  had  been   hurt  at 


I40     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

first  by  this  order,  but  she  soon  satisfied  herself  that  it 
had  been  meant  for  Mrs.  Wiggins'  benefit  and  not  her 
own.  She  found,  however,  that  Jane  interpreted  it  hter- 
ally.  "  If  either  of  you  set  foot  in  that  room  I'll  tell  him," 
she  said  flatly.  "I've  had  my  orders  and  I'm  a-goin'  to 
obey.  There's  to  be  no  more  rummagin'.  If  you'll  give 
me  the  keys  I'll  put  things  back  in  order  ag'in." 

"  Well,  I  won't  give  you  the  keys.  I'm  the  proper 
person  to  put  things  in  order  if  you  did  not  replace  them 
properly.  You  are  just  making  an  excuse  to  rummage 
yourself.  My  motive  for  inspecting  is  very  different  from 
yours." 

"Shouldn't  wonder  if  you  was  sorry  some  day,"  the 
girl  had  remarked,  and  so  the  matter  had  dropped  and 
been  forgotten. 

Holcroft  solaced  himself  with  the  fact  that  Jane  and  Mrs. 
Wiggins  served  his  meals  regularly  and  looked  after  the 
dairy  with  better  care  than  it  had  received  since  his  wife 
died.  "  If  I  had  only  those  two  in  the  house  I  could  get 
along  first-rate,"  he  thought.  "  After  the  three  months 
are  up  I'll  try  to  make  such  an  arrangement.  I'd  pay  the 
mnother  and  send  her  off  now,  but  if  I  did,  Lemuel  Weeks 
would  put  her  up  to  a  lawsuit." 

April  days  brought  the  longed-for  plowing  and  plant- 
ing, and  the  farmer  was  so  busy  and  absorbed  in  his 
work  that  Mrs.  Mumpson  had  less  and  less  place  in  his 
thoughts,  even  as  a  thorn  in  the  flesh.  One  bright  after- 
noon, however,  chaos  came  again  unexpectedly.  Mrs. 
Wiggins  did  not  suggest  a  volatile  creature,  yet  such, 
alas!  she  was.  She  apparently  exhaled  and  was  lost, 
leaving  no  trace.  The  circumstances  of  her  disappear- 
ance permit  of  a  very  matter-of-fact  and  not  very  credit- 
able explanation.     On  the  day  in  question  she  prepared 


''WHAT  IS    TO  BECOME   OF  ME?'*        141 

an  unusually  good  dinner,  and  the  farmer  had  enjoyed  it 
in  spite  of  Mrs.  Mumpson's  presence  and  desultory 
remarks.  The  morning  had  been  fine  and  he  had  mad* 
progress  in  his  early  spring  work.  Mrs.  Wiggins  felt 
that  her  hour  and  opportunity  had  come.  Following  him 
to  the  door,  she  said  in  a  low  tone  and  yet  with  a  decisive 
accent,  as  if  she  was  claiming  a  right,  "  Master,  hi'd 
thank  ye  for  me  two  weeks'  wages." 

He  unsuspectingly  and  unhesitatingly  gave  it  to  her, 
thinking,  "  That's  the  way  with  such  people.  They  want 
to  be  paid  often  and  be  sure  of  their  money.  She'll  work 
all  the  better  for  having  it." 

Mrs.  Wiggins  knew  the  hour  when  the  stage  passed 
the  house  ;  she  had  made  up  a  bundle  without  a  very 
close  regard  to  vieiiin  or  tuiim,  and  was  ready  to  flit. 
The  chance  speedily  came. 

The  "  caretaker  "  was  rocking  in  the  parlor  and  would 
'disdain  to  look,  while  Jane  had  gone  out  to  help  plant 
some  early  potatoes  on  a  warm  hillside.  The  coast  was 
clear.  Seeing  the  stage  coming,  the  old  woman  waddled 
down  the  lane  at  a  remarkable  pace,  paid  her  fare  to 
town,  and  the  Holcroft  kitchen  knew  her  no  more.  That 
she  found  the  "  friend  "  she  had  wished  to  see  on  her  way 
out  to  the  farm,  and  that  this  friend  brought  her  quickly 
under  Tom  Watterly's  care  again,  goes  without  saying. 

As  the  shadows  lengthened  and  the  robins  became 
tuneful,  Holcroft  said,  "  You've  done  well,  Jane.  Thanic 
you.     Now  you  can  go  back  to  the  house." 

The  child  soon  returned  in  breathless  haste  to  the  field 
where  the  farmer  was  covering  the  potato  pieces  she  had 
dropped,  and  cried,  "  Mrs.  Wiggins  's  gone  !  '* 

Like  a  flash  the  woman's  motive  in  asking  for  her 
wages  occurred  to  him,  but  he  started  for  the  house  to 


142      HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

assure  himself  of  the  truth.  "Perhaps  she's  in  the 
•cellar,"  he  said,  remembering  the  cider  barrel,  "  or  else 
she's  out  for  a  walk." 

"No,  she  aint,"  persisted  Jane.  "I've  looked  every- 
'where  and  all  over  the  barn,  and  she  aint  nowhere. 
Mother  haint  seen  her,  nuther." 

With  dreary  misgivings,  Holcroft  remembered  that  he 
no  longer  had  a  practical  ally  in  the  old  Englishwoman, 
and  he  felt  that  a  new  breaking  up  was  coming.  He 
looked  wistfully  at  Jane,  and  thought,  "  I  could  gti  along 
with  that  child  if  the  mother  was  away.  But  that  can't 
be;  5//<?'^  visit  here  indefinitely  if  Jane  stayed." 

When  Mrs.  Mumpson  learned  from  Jane  of  Mrs. 
Wiggins'  disappearance,  she  was  thrown  into  a  state  of 
strong  excitement.  She  felt  that  her  hour  and  oppor- 
tunity might  be  near  also,  and  she  began  to  rock  very 
.fast  "  What  else  could  he  expect  of  such  a  female?" 
she  soliloquized.  "  I've  no  doubt  but  she's  taken  things, ' 
too.  He'll  now  learn  my  value  and  what  it  is  to  have  a 
caretaker  who  will  never  desert  him." 

Spirits  and  courage  rose  with  the  emergency ;  her 
thoughts  hurried  her  along  like  a  dry  leaf  caught  in 
a  March  gale.  "  Yes,"  she  murmured,  "  the  time  has 
come  for  me  to  act,  to  dare,  to  show  him  in  his  desperate 
need  and  hour  of  desertion  what  might  be,  may  be,  must 
be.  He  will  now  see  clearly  the  difference  between  these 
peculiar  females  who  come  and  go,  and  a  respecterble 
woman  and  a  mother  who  can  be  depended  upon — one 
who  will  never  steal  away  like  a  thief  in  the  night." 

She  saw  Holcroft  approaching  the  house  with  Jane; 
she  heard  him  ascend  to  Mrs.  Wiggins'  room,  then 
jreturn  to  the  kitchen  and  ejaculate,  "  Yes,  she's  gone, 
-Sure  enough." 


"WHAT  IS    TO  BECOME   OF  ME?''        143 

"  Now,  rt^//"  murmured  the  widow,  and  she  rushed 
toward  the  farmer  with  clasped  hands,  and  cried  wilh 
emotion,  "  Yes,  she's  gone  ;  but  I'm  not  gone.  You  are 
not  deserted.  Jane  will  minister  to  you  ;  I  will  be  the 
caretaker,  and  our  home  will  be  all  the  happier  because 
that  monstrous  creature  is  absent.  Dear  Mr.  Holcroft, 
don't  be  so  blind  to  your  own  interests  and  happiness, 
don't  remain  undeveloped  !  Everything  is  wrong  here  if 
you  would  but  see  it.  You  are  lonely  and  desolate. 
Moth  and  rust  have  entered,  things  in  unopened  drawers 
and  closets  are  molding  and  going  to  waste.  Yield  to 
true  female  influence  and " 

Holcroft  had  been  rendered  speechless  at  first  by  this- 
onslaught,  but  the  reference  to  unopened  drawers  and^ 
closets  awakened  a  sudden  suspicion.  Had  she  dared  to- 
touch  what  had  belonged  to  his  wife?  "What!"  he 
exclaimed  sharply,  interrupting  her  ;  then  with  an  expres- 
sion of  disgust  and  anger,  he  passed  her  swiftly  and  went* 
to  his  room.  A  moment  later  came  the  stern  summons, 
"Jane,  come  here  I  " 

"  Now  you'll  see  what  '11  come  of  that  rummagin'/' 
whimpered  Jane.  "  You  aint  got  no  sense  at  all  to  go  at 
him  so.  He's  jes'  goin'  to  put  us  right  out,"  and  she 
went  upstairs  as  if  to  execution. 

"  Have  I  failed  }  "  gasped  Mrs.  Mumpson,  and  retreat- 
ing to  the  chair,  she  rocked  nervously. 

"  Jane,"  said  Holcroft  in  hot  anger,  "  my  wife's  things 
have  been  pulled  out  of  her  bureau  and  stuffed  back 
again  as  if  they  were  no  better  than  dishcloths.  Who- 
did  it?" 

The  child  now  began  to  cry  aloud. 

"  There,  there ! "  he  said,  with  intense  irritation,  **  I 
can't  trust  you  either." 


144     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"I  haint — touched  'em— since  you  told  me — told  me 
— not  to  do  things  on  the  sly,"  the  girl  sobbed  brokenly ; 
but  he  had  closed  the  door  upon  her  and  did  not  hear. 

He  could  have  forgiven  her  almost  anything  but  this. 
Since  she  only  had  been  permitted  to  take  care  of  his 
room  he  naturally  thought  that  she  had  committed  the 
sacrilege,  and  her  manner  had  confirmed  this  impression. 
Of  course  the  mother  had  been  present  and  probably 
had  assisted ;  but  he  had  expected  nothing  better  of 
her. 

He  took  the  things  out,  folded  and  smoothed  them  as 
carefully  as  he  could  with  his  heavy  hands  and  clumsy 
fingers.  His  gentle,  almost  reverent  touch  was  in 
strange  contrast  with  his  flushed,  angry  face  and  gleam- 
ing eyes.  "  This  is  the  worst  that's  happened  yet,"  he 
muttered.  "  Oh,  Lemuel  Weeks!  it's  well  you  are  not  here 
now,  or  we  might  both  have  cause  to  be  sony.  It  was 
you  who  put  these  prying,  and  for  all  I  know,  thieving 
creatures  into  my  house,  and  it  was  as  mean  a  trick  as 
ever  one  man  played  another.  You  and  this  precious 
cousin  of  yours  thought  you  could  bring  about  a  mar- 
riage ;  you  put  her  up  to  her  ridiculous  antics.  Faugh  ! 
the  very  thought  of  it  all  makes  me  sick." 

"  Oh,  mother,  what  shall  I  do?"  Jane  cried,  rushing 
into  the  parlor  and  throwing  herself  on  the  floor,  "  he's 
goin'  to  put  us  right  out." 

"  He  can't  put  me  out  before  the  three  months  are  up," 
quav^ered  the  widow. 

"  Yes,  he  can.  We've  been  a-rummagin'  where  we'd  no 
bizniss  to  be.  He's  mad  enough  to  do  anything;  he  jes' 
looks  awful;  I'm  afraid  of  him." 

"  Jane,"  said  her  mother  plaintively,  "  I  feel  indis- 
posed.    I  think  I'll  retire. 


"  WHAT  IS    TO  BECOME   OF  ME?"        145 

"  Yes,  that's  the  way  with  you,"  sobbed  the  child. 
"You  got  me  into  the  scrape  and  now  you  retire." 

Mrs.  Mumpson's  confidence  in  herself  and  her  schemes 
was  terribly  shaken.  "  I  must  act  very  discreetly.  I 
must  be  alone  that  I  may  think  over  these  untoward 
events.  Mr.  Holcroft  has  been  so  warped  by  the  past 
female  influences  of  his  life  that  there's  no  counting  on 
his  action.  He  taxes  me  sorely,"  she  explained,  and  then 
ascended  the  stairs. 

"  Oh  !  oh !  "  moaned  the  child,  as  she  writhed  on  the 
floor,  "  mother  aint  got  no  sense  at  all.  What  is  goin' 
to  become  of  me.^  I'd  ruther  hang  about  his  barn  than 
go  back  to  Cousin  Lemuel's  or  any  other  cousin's." 

Spurred  by  one  hope,  she  at  last  sprung  up  and  went 
to  the  kitchen.  It  was  already  growing  dark,  and  she 
lighted  the  lamp,  kindled  the  fire,  and  began  getting 
supper  with  breathless  energy. 

As  far  as  he  could  discover,  Holcroft  was  satisfied 
that  nothing  had  been  taken.  In  this  respect  he  was 
right.  Mrs.  Mumpson's  curiosity  and  covetousness  were 
boundless,  but  she  would  not  steal.  There  are  few  who 
do  not  draw  the  line  somewhere. 

Having  tried  to  put  the  articles  back  as  they  were 
before,  he  locked  them  up,  and  went  hastily  down  and 
out,  feeling  that  he  must  regain  his  self-control  and 
decide  upon  his  future  action  at  once.  "  I  wili  then 
carry  out  my  purposes  in  a  way  that  will  give  the  Weeks 
tribe  no  chance  to  make  trouble." 

As  he  passed  the  kitchen  windows  he  saw  Jane  rush- 
ing about  as  if  possessed,  and  he  stopped  to  watch  her. 
It  soon  became  evident  that  she  was  trying  to  get  his 
supper.  His  heart  relented  at  once  in  spite  of  himself. 
*'  The    poor,   wronged    child  !  "   he    muttered.      '•  Why 


146     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

should  I  be  so  hard  on  her  for  doing  what  she's  been 
brought  up  to  do  ?  Well,  well,  it's  too  bad  to  send  her 
away,  but  I  can't  help  it.  I'd  lose  my  own  reason  if  the 
mother  were  here  much  longer,  and  if  I  kept  Jane,  her 
idiotic  mother  would  stay  in  spite  of  me.  If  she  didn't 
there'd  be  endless  talk  and  lawsuits,  too,  like  enough, 
about  separating  parent  and  child.  Jane's  too  young 
and  little,  anyway,  to  be  here  alone  and  do  the  work. 
But  I'm  sorry  for  her,  I  declare  I  am,  and  I  wish  I  could 
do  something  to  give  her  a  chance  in  the  world.  If  my 
wife  was  only  living  we'd  take  and  bring  her  up,  dis- 
agreeable and  homely  as  she  is ;  but  there's  no  use  of 
my  trying  to  do  anything  alone.  I  fear,  after  all,  that  I 
shall  have  to  give  up  the  old  place  and  go — I  don't 
know  where.    What  is  to  become  of  her.^  " 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

MRS.  mumpson's  vicissitudes. 

Having  completed  her  preparations  for  supper,  Jane 
stole  timidly  up  to  Holcroft's  room  to  summon  him. 
Her  first  rap  on  his  door  was  scarcely  audible,  then  she 
ventured  to  knock  louder  and  finally  to  call  him,  but 
there  was  no  response.  Full  of  vague  dread  she  went 
to  her  mother's  room  and  said,  "  He  won't  answer  me, 
he's  so  awful  mad  that  I  don't  know  what  he'll  do." 

"  I  think  he  has  left  his  apartment,"  her  mothei 
moaned  from  the  bed. 

"  Why  couldn't  yer  tell  me  so  before  ?  "  cried  Jane. 
"  What  yer  gone  to  bed  for  ?  If  you'd  only  show  some 
sense  and  try  to  do  what  he  brought  you  here  for,  like 
enough  he'd  keep  us  yet." 

"  My  heart's  too  crushed,  Jane " 

"  Oh,  bother,  bother  !  "  and  the  child  rushed  away. 
She  looked  into  the  dark  parlor  and  called,  "  Mr.  Hol- 
croft !  "  Then  she  appeared  in  the  kitchen  again,  the 
picture  of  uncouth  distress  and  perplexity.  A  moment 
later  she  opened  the  door  and  darted  toward  the  barn. 

"  What  do  you  wish,  Jane  ?  "  said  Holcroft,  emerging 
from  a  shadowy  corner  and  recalling  her. 

"  Sup — supper's — ready,"  sobbed  the  child. 

He  came  in  and  sat  down  at  the  table,  considerately 
appearing  not  to  notice  her  until  she  had  a  chance  to 


148     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

recover  composure.  She  vigorously  used  the  sleeves 
of  both  arms  in  drying  her  eyes,  then  stole  in  and  found 
a  seat  in  a  dusky  corner. 

"  Why  don't  you  come  to  supper  ?  "  he  asked  quietly. 

"  Don't  want  any." 

"  You  had  better  take  some  up  to  your  mother." 

"  She  oughtn't  to  have  any." 

"  That  doesn't  make  any  difference.  I  want  you  to 
take  up  something  to  her,  and  then  come  down  and  eat 
your  supper  like  a  sensible  girl." 

"  I  aint  been  sensible,  nor  mother  nuther." 

"  Do  as  I  say,  Jane."  The  child  obeyed,  but  she 
couldn't  swallow  anything  but  a  little  coffee. 

Holcroft  was  in  a  quandary.  He  had  not  the  gift  of 
speaking  soothing  yet  meaningless  words,  and  was  too 
honest  to  raise  false  hopes.  He  was  therefore  almost 
as  silent  and  embarrassed  as  Jane  herself.  To  the  girl's 
furtive  scrutiny  he  did  not  seem  hardened  against  her, 
and  she  at  last  ventured,  "  Say,  I  didn't  touch  them 
drawers  after  you  told  me  not  to  do  anything  on  the  sly." 

"When  were  they  opened.''  Tell  me  the  truth, 
Jane." 

"  Mother  opened  them  the  first  day  you  left  us  alone. 
I  told  her  you  wouldn't  like  it,  but  she  said  she  was 
housekeeper  ;  she  said  how  it  was  her  duty  to  inspect 
everything.  I  wanted  to  inspect,  too.  We  was  jes' 
rummagin' — that's  what  it  was.  After  the  things  were 
all  pulled  out,  mother  got  the  rocker  and  wouldn't  do 
anything.  It  was  gettin'  late,  and  I  was  frightened  and 
poked  'em  back  in  a  hurry.  Mother  wanted  to  rummage 
ag'in  the  other  day  and  I  wouldn't  let  her:  then  she 
wouldn't  let  me  have  the  keys,  so  I  could  fix  'em  up/' 

"  But  the  keys  were  in  my  pocket,  Jane." 


MRS.    MUMP  SON'S    VICISSITUDES.         149 

"  Mother  has  a  lot  of  keys.  I've  told  you  jes'  how  it 
all  was." 

"  Nothing  was  taken  away  }  " 

"  No.  Mother  aint  got  sense,  but  she  never  takes 
things.  I  nuther  'cept  when  I'm  hungry.  Never  took 
anything  here.     Say,  are  you  goin'  to  send  us  away  ?  " 

"  I  fear  I  shall  have  to,  Jane.  I'm  sorry  for  you,  for  I 
believe  you  would  try  to  do  the  best  you  could  if  given  a 
chance,  and  I  can  see  you  never  had  a  chance." 

"  No,"  said  the  child,  blinking  hard  to  keep  the  tears 
out  of  her  eyes.  "  I  aint  had  no  teachin'.  I've  jes' 
kinder  growed  along  with  the  farm  hands  and  rough 
boys.  Them  that  didn't  hate  me  teased  me.  Say, 
couldn't  I  stay  in  your  barn  and  sleep  in  the  hay  }  " 

Holcroft  was  sorely  perplexed  and  pushed  away  his 
half-eaten  supper.  He  knew  himself  what  it  was  to  be 
friendless  and  lonely,  and  his  heart  softened  toward  this 
worse  than  motherless  child. 

"Jane,"  he  said  kindly,  "  I'm  just  as  sorry  for  you  as 
I  can  be,  but  you  don't  know  the  difficulties  in  the  way 
of  what  you  wish,  and  I  fear  I  can't  make  you  under- 
stand them.  Indeed,  it  would  not  be  best  to  tell  you  all 
of  them.  If  I  could  keep  you  at  all,  you  should  stay  in 
the  house,  and  I'd  be  kind  to  you,  but  it  can't  be.  I 
may  not  stay  here  myself.  My  future  course  is  very 
uncertain.  There's  no  use  of  my  trying  to  go  on  as  I 
have.  Perhaps  some  day  I  can  do  something  for  you, 
and  if  I  can,  I  will.  I  will  pay  your  mother  her  three 
months'  wages  in  full  in  the  morning,  and  then  I  want 
you  both  to  get  your  things  into  your  trunk,  and  I'll  take 
you  to  your  Cousin  Lemuel's." 

Driven  almost  to  desperation,  Jane  suggested  the  only 
scheme  she  could  think  of.     "  If  you  stayed  here  and  1 


ISO      HE   FELL   LN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

run  away  and  came  back,  wouldn't  you  keep  me  ?  I'd 
work  all  day  and  all  night  jes'  for  the  sake  of  stayin'." 

"  No,  Jane,"  said  Holcroft  firmly,  "  you'd  make  me  no 
end  of  trouble  if  you  did  that.  If  you'll  be  a  good  girl 
and  learn  how  to  do  things,  I'll  try  to  tind  you  a  place 
among  kind  people  some  day  when  you're  older  and  can 
act  for  yourself." 

"You're  afraid  'fi's  here  mother'd  come  a-visitin'," 
said  the  girl  keenly. 

"  You're  too  young  to  understand  half  the  trouble 
that  might  follow.  My  plans  are  too  uncertain  for  me 
to  tangle  myself  up.  You  and  your  mother  must  go 
away  at  once,  so  I  can  do  what  I  must  do  before  it's  too 
late  in  the  season.  Here's  a  couple  of  dollars  which  you 
can  keep  for  yourself,"  and  he  went  up  to  his  room, 
feeling  that  he  could  not  witness  the  child's  distress  any 
longer. 

He  fought  hard  against  despondency  and  tried  to  face 
the  actual  condition  of  his  affairs.  "  I  might  have 
known,"  he  thought,  "  that  things  would  have  turned 
out  somewhat  as  they  have,  with  such  women  in  the 
house,  and  I  don't  see  much  chance  of  getting  better 
ones.  I've  been  so  bent  on  staying  and  going  on  as  I 
used  to  that  I've  just  shut  my  eyes  to  the  acts."  He 
got  out  an  old  account  book  and  pored  over  it  a  longtime. 
The  entries  therein  were  blind  enough,  but  at  last  he 
concluded,  "It's  plain  that  I've  lost  money  on  the  dairy 
ever  since  my  wife  died,  and  the  prospects  now  are 
worse  than  ever.  That  Weeks  tribe  will  set  the  whole 
town  talking  against  me  and  it  will  be  just  about  impos- 
sible to  get  a  decent  woman  to  come  here.  I  might  as 
well  have  an  auction  and  sell  all  the  cows  but  one.  at 
once.     After  that,  if  I  find  I  can't  make  out  living  alone, 


MRS.    MUMP  SON'S    VICISSITUDES.         15 1 

I'll  put  the  place  in  better  order  and  sell  or  rent.  I  can 
get  my  own  meals  after  a  fashion,  and  old  Jonathan 
Johnson's  wife  will  do  my  washing  and  mending.  It's 
time  it  was  done  better  than  it  has  been,  for  some  of  my 
clothes  make  me  look  like  a  scarecrow.  I  believe 
Jonathan  will  come  with  his  cross  dog  and  stay  here  too, 
when  I  must  be  away.  Well,  well,  it's  a  hard  lot  for  a 
man;  but  I'd  be  about  as  bad  ofT,  and  a  hundred-fold 
more  lonely,  if  I  went  anywhere  else.  I  can  only  feel  my 
way  along  and  live  a  day  at  a  time.  I'll  learn  what  can 
be  done  and  what  can't  be.  One  thing  is  clear  ;  I  can't 
go  on  with  this  Mrs.  Mumpson  in  the  house  a  day 
longer.  She  makes  me  creep  and  crawl  all  over,  and  the 
first  thing  I  know  I  shall  be  swearing  like  a  bloody 
pirate  unless  I  get  rid  of  her.  If  she  wasn't  such  a  hope- 
less idiot  I'd  let  her  stay  for  the  sake  of  Jane,  but  I  won't 
pay  her  good  wages  to  make  my  life  a  burden  a  day 
longer,"  and  with  like  self-communings  he  spent  the 
evening  until  the  habit  of  early  drowsiness  overcame 
him. 

The  morning  found  Jane  dispirited  and  a  little  sulllen, 
as  older  and  wiser  people  are  apt  to  be  when  disappointed. 
She  employed  herself  in  getting  breakfast  carelessly  and 
languidly,  and  the  result  was  not  satisfactory. 

"  Where's  your  mother  ?  "  Holcroft  asked  when  he 
came  in. 

"  She  told  me  to  tell  you  she  was  indisposed." 

"  Indisposed  to  go  to  Lemuel  Weeks'  ?  " 

"  I  'sp>ect  she  means  she's  sick." 

He  frowned  and  looked  suspiciously  at  the  girl. 
Here  was  a  new  complication,  and  very  possibly  a 
trick. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  her.'*  " 


152      HE   FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE, 

"Dunno." 

"  Well,  she  had  better  get  well  enough  to  go  by  this 
afternoon,"  he  remarked,  controlling  his  irritation  with 
difficulty,  and  nothing  more  was  said. 

Full  of  his  new  plans  he  spent  a  busy  forenoon  and 
then  came  to  dinner.  It  w-as  the  same  old  story.  He 
went  up  and  knocked  at  Mrs.  Mumpson's  door,  saying 
that  he  wished  to  speak  with  her. 

"  I'm  too  indisposed  to  transact  business,"  she  repHed 
feebly. 

"  You  must  be  ready  to-morrow  morning,"  he  called. 
"  I  have  business  plans  which  can't  be  delayed,"  and  he 
turned  away  muttering  rather  sulphurous  words. 

"  He  will  relent;  his  hard  heart  will  soften  at  last "" 

But  we  shall  not  weary  the  reader  with  the  long  solilo- 
quies w^th  which  she  beguiled  her  politic  seclusion,  as 
she  regarded  it.  Poor,  unsophisticated  Jane  made  mat- 
ters worse.  The  condition  of  life  among  her  much- 
visited  relatives  now  existed  again.  She  was  not  wanted,, 
and  her  old  sly,  sullen,  and  furtive  manner  reasserted 
itself.  Much  of  Holcroft's  sympathy  was  thus  alienated, 
yet  he  partially  understood  and  pitied  her.  It  became,, 
however,  all  the  more  clear  that  he  must  get  rid  of  both 
mother  and  child,  and  that  further  relations  with  either 
of  them  could  only  lead  to  trouble. 

The  following  morning  only  Jane  appeared.  "  Is  your 
mother  really  sick.^  "  he  asked. 

"S'pose  so,"  was  the  laconic  reply. 

"  You  haven't  taken  much  pains  with  the  breakfast, 
Jane." 

"  'Taint  no  use." 

With  knitted  brows  he  thought  deeply,  and  silently  ate 
the  wretched  meal    which   had    been   prepared.     Then, 


MRS.    MUMP  SON'S    VICISSITUDES.         153 

remarking  that  he  might  do  some  writing,  he  went  up  to 
a  small  attic  room  which  had  been  used  occasionally  by 
a  hired  man.  It  contained  a  covered  pipe-hole  leading 
into  the  chimney  flue.  Removing  the  cover,  he  stopped 
up  the  flue  with  an  old  woolen  coat.  "  I  suppose  I'll 
have  to  meet  tricks  with  tricks,"  he  muttered. 

Returning  to  his  own  apartment,  he  lighted  a  fire  in 
the  stove  and  laid  upon  the  kindling  blaze  some  damp- 
ened wood,  then  went  out  and  quietly  hitched  his  horses 
to  the  wagon. 

The  pungent  odor  of  smoke  soon  filled  the  house. 
The  cover  over  the  pipe-hole  in  Mrs.  Mumpson's  room 
was  not  very  secure,  and  thick  volumes  began  to  pour  in 
upon  the  startled  widow.     "Jane  !  "  she  shrieked. 

If  Jane  was  sullen  toward  Holcroft  she  was  furious  at 
her  mother,  and  paid  no  heed  at  first  to  her  cry. 

"  Jane,  Jane,  the  house  is  on  fire  ! " 

Then  the  child  did  fly  up  the  stairway.  The  smoke 
seemed  to  confirm  the  words  of  her  mother,  who  was 
dressing  in  hot  haste.  "  Run  and  tell  Mr.  Holcroft !  " 
she  cried. 

**  I  won't,"  said  the  girl.  "  If  he  won't  keep  us  in  the 
house  I  don't  care  if  he  don't  have  any  house." 

"  No,  no,  tell  him  !  "  screamed  Mrs.  Mumpson.  "  If 
we  save  his  house  he  will  relent.  Gratitude  will  over- 
whelm him.  So  far  from  turning  us  away,  he  will  sue, 
he  will  plead  for  forgiveness  for  his  former  harshness  ; 
his  home  saved  will  be  our  home  won.  Just  put  our 
things  in  the  trunk  first.  Perhaps  the  house  can't  be 
saved,  and  you  know  we  must  save  our  things.  Help 
me,  quick  !  There,  there  ;  now,  now  " — both  were  sneez- 
ing and  choking  in  a  half-strangled  manner.  "  Now  let 
me  lock  it ;  my  hand  trembles  so  ;  take  hold  and  draw  it 


154      HE   FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

out ;  drag  it  downstairs  ;  no  matter  how  it  scratches 
things  !  ■' 

Having  reached  the  hall  below,  she  opened  the  door 
and  shrieked  for  Holcroft ;  Jane  also  began  running 
toward  the  barn.  The  farmer  came  hastily  out,  and 
shouted,  "  What's  the  matter  ?  " 

"  The  house  is  on  fire  !  "  they  screamed  in  chorus. 

To  carry  out  his  ruse,  he  ran  swiftly  to  the  house. 
Mrs.  Mumpson  stood  before  him  wringing  her  hands  and 
crying,  "  Oh,  dear  Mr.  Holcroft,  can't  I  do  anything  to 
help  you.'*  I  would  so  like  to  help  you  and " 

"  Yes,  my  good  woman,  let  me  get  in  the  door  and  see 
what's  the  matter.  Oh,  here's  your  trunk.  That's  sen- 
sible. Better  get  it  outside,"  and  he  went  up  the  stairs 
two  steps  at  a  time  and  rushed  into  his  room. 

"Jane,  Jane,"  ejaculated  Mrs.  Mumpson,  sinking  on  a 
seat  in  the  porch,  "  he  called  me  his  good  woman  ! " 
But  Jane  was  busy  dragging  the  trunk  out  of  doors. 
Having  secured  her  own  and  her  mother's  worldly  pos- 
sessions, she  called,  "  Shall  I  bring  water  and  carry 
things  out  }  " 

"  No,"  he  replied,  "  not  yet.  There's  something  the 
matter  with  the  chimney,"  and  he  hastened  up  to  the 
attic  room,  removed  the  clog  from  the  flue,  put  on  the 
cover  again,  and  threw  open  the  window.  Returning,  he 
locked  the  door  of  the  room  which  Mrs.  Mumpson  had 
occupied  and  came  downstairs.  "  I  must  get  a  ladder 
and  examine  the  chimney,"  he  said  as  he  passed. 

"  Oh,  my  dear  Mr.  Holcroft !  "  the  widow  began. 

"  Can't  talk  with  you  yet,"  and  he  hastened  on. 

"  As  soon  as  he's  sure  the  house  is  safe,  Jane,  all  will 
be  well."  But  the  girl  had  grown  hopeless  and  cynical. 
She  had  not  penetrated  his  scheme  to  restore  her  mother 


MRS.    M UMPSON ' S    VICISSITUDES.        1 5 5 

to  health,  but  understood  the  man  well  enough  to  be  sure 
that  her  mother's  hopes  would  end  as  they  had  in  the 
past.  She  sat  down  apathetically  on  the  trunk  to  see 
what  would  happen  next. 

After  a  brief  inspection  Holcroft  came  down  from  the 
roof  and  said,  "  The  chimney  will  have  to  be  repaired," 
which  was  true  enough  and  equally  so  of  other  parts  of 
the  dwelling.  The  fortunes  of  the  owner  were  reflected 
in  the  appearance  of  the  building. 

If  it  were  a  possible  thing  Holcroft  wished  to  carr}-  out 
his  ruse  undetected,  and  he  hastened  upstairs  again, 
ostensibly  to  see  that  all  danger  had  passed,  but  in  reality 
to  prepare  his  mind  for  an  intensely  disagreeable  inter- 
view. "  I'd  rather  face  a  mob  of  men  than  that  one 
idiotic  woman,"  he  muttered.  "  I  could  calculate  the 
actions  of  a  setting  hen  with  her  head  cut  off  better  than 
I  can  this  widow's.  But  there's  no  help  for  it,"  and  he 
came  down  looking  very  resolute.  "  I've  let  the  fire  in 
my  stove  go  out,  and  there's  no  more  danger,"  he  said 
quietly,  as  he  sat  down  on  the  porch  opposite  Mrs. 
Mumpson. 

"  Oh-h,"  she  exclaimed,  with  a  long  breath  of  relief, 
"  we've  saved  the  dwelling.  What  would  we  have  done 
if  it  had  burned  down  !     We  would  have  been  homeless." 

"That  may  be  my  condition  soon,  as  it  is,"  he  said 
coldly.  "  I  am  very  glad,  Mrs.  Mumpson,  that  you  are  so 
much  better.  As  Jane  told  you,  I  suppose,  I  will  pay 
you  the  sum  I  agreed  to  give  you  for  three  months' 
service " 

"My  dear  Mr.  Holcroft,  my  nerves  have  been  too 
shaken  to  talk  business  this  morning,"  and  the  widow 
leaned  back  and  looked  as  if  she  were  going  to  faint. 
"  I'm  oifly  a  poor  lone  woman,"  she  added  feebly,  "and 


156      HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

you  cannot  be  so  lacking  in  the  milk  of  human  kindness 
as  to  take  advantage  of  me." 

"  No,  madam,  nor  shall  I  allow  you  and  Lemuel  Weeks 
to  take  advantage  of  me.  This  is  my  house  and  1  have  a 
right  to  make  my  own  arrangements." 

"  It  might  all  be  arranged  so  easily  in  another  way," 
sighed  the  widow. 

"  It   cannot   be   arranged   in   any  other  way "  he 

began. 

"  Mr.  Holcroft,"  she  cried,  leaning  suddenly  forward 
with  clasped  hands  and  speaking  effusively,  "  you  but 
now  called  me  your  good  woman.  Think  how  much 
those  words  mean.  Make  them  true,  now  that  you've 
spoken  them.  Then  you  won't  be  homeless  and  wall 
never  need  a  caretaker." 

"  Are  you  making  me  an  offer  of  marriage } "  he 
asked  with  lowering  brow. 

"  Oh,  no,  indeed  !  "  she  simpered.  "  That  wouldn't 
be  becoming  in  me.  I'm  only  responding  to  your  own 
words." 

Rising,  he  said  sternly,  "  No  power  on  earth  could 
induce  me  to  marry  you,  and  that  would  be  plain  enough 
if  you  were  in  your  right  mind.  I  shall  not  stand  this 
foolishness  another  moment.  You  must  go  with  me  at 
once  to  Lemuel  Weeks',  If  you  will  not  I'll  have  you 
taken  to  an  insane  asylum." 

"To  an  insane  asylum!  What  for.''"  she  half 
shrieked,  springing  to  her  feet. 

"  You'll  see,"  he  replied,  going  down  the  steps. 
"  Jump  up,  Jane  !  I  shall  take  the  trunk  to  your 
cousin's.  If  you  are  so  crazy  as  to  stay  in  a  man's 
house  when  he  don't  want  you  and  won't  have  you,  you 
are  fit  only  for  an  asylum." 


MRS.   MUMPSON'S    VICISSITUDES.         i57 

Mrs.  Mumpson  was  sane  enough  to  perceive  that  she 
was  at  the  end  of  her  adhesive  resources.  In  his  posses- 
sion  of  her  trunk,  the  farmer  also  had  a  strategic  advan- 
tage which  made  it  necessary  for  her  to  yield.  She  did 
so,  however,  with  very  bad  grace.  When  he  drove  up^ 
she  bounced  into  the  wagon  as  if  made  of  india  rubber^ 
while  Jane  followed  slowly,  with  a  look  of  sullen  apathy. 
He  touched  his  horses  with  the  whip  into  a  smart  trot, 
scarcely  daring  to  believe  in  his  good  fortune.  The  lane 
was  rather  steep  and  rough,  and  he  soon  had  to  pull  up 
lest  the  object  of  his  unhappy  solicitude  should  be  jolted 
out  of  the  vehicle.  This  gave  the  widow  her  chance  to- 
open  fire.  "  The  end  has  not  come  yet,  Mr.  Holcroft," 
she  said  vindictively.  "  You  may  think  you  are  going 
to  have  an  easy  triumph  over  a  poor,  friendless,  unfor- 
tunate, sensitive,  afflicted  woman  and  a  fatherless  child, 
but  you  shall  soon  learn  that  there's  a  law  in  the  land» 
You  have  addressed  improper  words  to  me,  you  have- 
threatened  me,  you  have  broken  your  agreement.  I 
have  writings,  I  have  a  memory,  I  have  language  to 
plead  the  cause  of  the  widow  and  the  fatherless.  I  have 
been  wronged,  outraged,  trampled  upon,  and  then  turned 
out  of  doors.  The  indignant  world  shall  hear  my  stor)v 
the  finger  of  scorn  will  be  pointed  at  you.  Your  name 
will  become  a  byword  and  a  hissing.  Respecterble 
women,  respecterbly  connected,  will  stand  aloof  and 
shudder." 

The  torrent  of  words  was  unchecked  except  when  the 
wheels  struck  a  stone,  jolting  her  so  severely  that  her 
jaws  came  together  with  a  click  as  if  she  were  snappmg 
at  him. 

He  made  no  reply  whatever,  but  longed  to  get  his 
hands  upon  Lemuel  Weeks.     Pushing  his  horses  to  a 


15S     HE  FELL   LN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

high  rate  of  speed,  he  soon  reached  that  interested 
neighbor's  door,  intercepting  him  just  as  he  was  starting 
to  town. 

He  looked  very  sour  as  he  saw  his  wife's  relatives,  and 
demanded  harshly,  "  What  does  this  mean?  " 

"  It  means,"  cried  Mrs.  Mumpson  in  her  high,  cackling 
tones,  "  that  he's  said  things  and  done  things  too  awful 
to  speak  of  ;  that  he's  broken  his  agreement  and  turned 
us  out  of  doors." 

"  Jim  Holcroft,"  said  Mr.  Weeks,  blustering  up  to  the 
wagon,  "you  can't  carry  on  with  this  high  hand.  Take 
these  people  back  to  your  house  where  they  belong,  or 
you'll  be  sorry." 

Holcroft  sprung  out,  whirled  Mr.  Weeks  out  of  his 
way,  took  out  the  trunk,  then  with  equal  expedition  and 
no  more  ceremony  lifted  down  Mrs.  Mumpson  and  Jane. 

"Do  you  know  what  you're  about,"*"  shouted  Mr. 
Weeks  in  a  rage.  "  I'll  have  the  law  on  you  this  very 
day." 

Holcroft  maintained  his  ominous  silence  as  he  hitched 
his  horses  securely.  Then  he  strode  toward  Weeks,  who 
backed  away  from  him.  "  Oh,  don't  be  afraid  I  you 
sneaking,  cowardly  fox,"  said  the  farmer  bitterly.  "  If 
I  gave  you  your  deserts,  I'd  take  my  horsewhip  to  you. 
You're  going  to  law  me,  are  you  }  Well,  begin  to-day, 
and  I'll  be  ready  for  you.  I  won't  demean  myself  by 
answering  that  woman,  but  I'm  ready  for  you  in  any 
way  you've  a  mind  to  come.  I'll  put  you  and  your  wife 
on  the  witness  stand.  I'll  summon  Cousin  Abiram,  as 
you  call  him,  and  his  wife,  and  compel  you  all  under  oath 
to  give  Mrs.  Mumpson  a  few  testimonials.  I'll  prove  the 
trick  you  played  on  me  and  the  lies  you  told.  I'll  prove 
that  this  woman,  in  my  absence,  invaded  my  room,  and 


MRS.    MUMP  SON'S    VICISSITUDES.         159 

with  keys  of  her  own  opened  my  dead  wife's  bureau  and 
pulled  out  her  things.  I'll  prove  that  she  hasn't  earned 
her  salt  and  can't,  and  may  prove  something  more.  Now, 
if  you  want  to  go  to  law,  begin.  Nothing  would  please 
me  better  than  to  show  up  you  and  your  tribe.  I've 
offered  to  pay  this  woman  her  three  months'  wages  in 
full  and  so  have  kept  my  agreement.  She  has  not  kept 
hers,  for  she's  only  sat  in  a  rocking  chair  and  made 
trouble.  Now,  do  as  you  please.  I'll  give  you  all  the 
law  you  want.  I'd  like  to  add  a  horsewhipping,  but 
that  would  give  you  a  case  and  now  you  haven't  any." 

As  Holcroft  uttered  these  words  sternly  and  slowly, 
like  a  man  angry  indeed  but  under  perfect  self-control, 
the  perspiration  broke  out  on  Weeks'  face.  He  was 
aware  that  Mrs.  Mumpson  was  too  well  known  to  play 
the  role  of  a  wronged  woman,  and  remembered  what  his 
testimony  and  that  of  many  others  would  be  under  oath. 
Therefore,  he  began,  "  Oh,  well,  Mr.  Holcroft !  there's  no 
need  of  your  getting  in  such  a  rage  and  threatening  so ; 
I'm  willing  to  talk  the  matter  over  and  only  want  to  do 
the  square  thing." 

The  farmer  made  a  gesture  of  disgust  as  he  said, 
"  I  understand  you,  Lemuel  Weeks.  There's  no  talking 
needed  and  I'm  in  no  mood  for  it.  Here's  the  money 
I  agreed  to  pay.  I'll  give  it  to  Mrs,  Mumpson  when  she 
has  signed  this  paper,  and  you've  signed  as  witness  of 
her  signature.  Otherwise,  it's  law.  Now  decide  quick. 
I'm  in  a  hurry." 

Objections  were  interposed,  and  Holcroft,  returning 
the  money  to  his  pocket,  started  for  his  tean*.  without  a 
word,  "  Oh,  well  !  "  said  Weeks  in  strong  irritation,  "  I 
haven't  time  for  a  lawsuit  at  this  season  of  the  year. 
You  are  both  cranks,  and  I  suppose  it  would  be  best  for 


l6o     HE  FELL  LN  LOVE    IVLTH  HLS    WIFE. 

me  and  my  folks  to  be  rid  of  you  both.  It's  a  pity, 
though,  you  couldn't  be  married  and  left  to  fight  it  out." 

Holcroft  took  the  whip  from  his  wagon  and  said 
quietly,  "  If  you  speak  another  insulting  word,  I'll  horse- 
^vhip  you  and  take  my  chances," 

Something  in  the  man's  look  prevented  Weeks  from 
uttering  another  unnecessary  remark.  The  business  was 
•soon  transacted,  accompanied  with  Mrs.  Mumpson's 
venomous  words,  for  she  had  discovered  that  she  could 
stigmatize  Holcroft  with  impunity.  He  went  to  Jane 
and  shook  her  hand  as  he  said  good-by.  "  I  am  sorry 
iox you,  and  I  won't  forget  my  promise  ;  "  then  drove 
rapidly  away. 

"  Cousin  Lemuel,"  said  Mrs.  IMumpson  plaintively, 
*"  won't  you  have  Timothy  take  my  trunk  to  our  room  .''" 

"  No,  I  won't,"  he  snapped.  *'  You've  had  your  chance 
and  have  fooled  it  away.  I  was  just  going  to  town,  and 
you  and  Jane  will  go  along  with  me,"  and  he  put  the 
^vidow's  trunk  into  his  wagon. 

Mrs.  Weeks  came  out  and  wiped  her  eyes  ostenta- 
tiously with  her  apron  as  she  whispered,  "  I  can't  help  it, 
Cynthy.  When  Lemuel  goes  off  the  handle  in  this  way, 
it's  no  use  for  me  to  say  anything." 

Mrs.  Mumpson  wept  hysterically  as  she  was  driven 
awa)'.  Jane's  sullen  and  apathetic  aspect  had  passed 
away  in  part,  for  Holcroft 's  words  had  kindled  something 
like  hope. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A   MOMENTOUS   DECISION. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  Holcroft  enjoyed  his  triumph 
over  Lemuel  Weeks  very  much  after  the  fashion  of  the 
aboriginal  man.  Indeed,  he  was  almost  sorry  he  had  not 
been  given  a  little  more  provocation,  knowing  well  that, 
had  this  been  true,  his  neighbor  would  have  received  a 
fuller  return  for  his  interested  efforts.  As  he  saw  his 
farmhouse  in  the  shimmering  April  sunlight,  as  the  old 
churning  dog  came  forward,  wagging  his  tail,  the  farmer 
said,  "  This  is  the  only  place  which  can  ever  be  home  to 
me.  Well,  well !  it's  queer  about  people.  Some,  when 
they  go,  leave  you  desolate  ;  others  make  you  happy  by 
their  absence.  I  never  dreamed  that  silly  IVIumpson 
could  make  me  happy,  but  she  has.  Blessed  if  I  don't 
feel  happy  !  The  first  time  in  a  year  or  more  !  "  and  he 
began  to  whistle  old  "  Coronation  "  in  the  most  lively 
fashion  as  he  unharnessed  his  horses. 

A  little  later,  he  prepared  himself  a  good  dinner  and 
ate  it  in  leisurely  enjoyment,  sharing  a  morsel  now  and 
then  with  the  old  dog.  "  You're  a  plaguey  sight  better 
company  than  she  was,"  he  mused.  "  That  poor  little 
stray  cat  of  a  Jane  !  What  will  become  of  her  ?  Well, 
well  !  soon  as  she's  old  enough  to  cut  loose  from  her 
mother  I'll  try  to  give  her  a  chance,  if  it's  a  possible 
thing." 


1 62      HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH   HIS    WIFE. 

After  dinner,  he  made  a  rough  draught  of  an  auction 
bill,  offering  his  cows  for  sale,  muttering  as  he  did  so, 
"  Tom  Watterly  '11  help  me  put  it  in  better  shape."  Then 
he  drove  a  mile  away  to  see  old  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson. 
The  former  agreed  for  a  small  sum  to  mount  guard  with 
his  dog  during  the  farmer's  occasional  absences,  and  the 
latter  readily  consented  to  do  the  washing  and  mending. 

"  What  do  I  want  of  any  more  '  peculiar  females,'  as 
that  daft  widow  called  'em  ?  "  he  chuckled  on  his  return. 
"  Blamed  if  she  wasn't  the  most  peculiar  of  the  lot. 
Think  of  me  marrying  her!"  and  the  hillside  echoed  to 
his  derisive  laugh.  "  As  I  feel  to-day,  there's  a  better 
chance  of  my  being  struck  by  lightning  than  marrying, 
and  I  don't  think  any  woman  could  do  it  in  spite  of  me. 
I'll  run  the  ranch  alone." 

That  evening  he  smoked  his  pipe  cheerfully  beside  the 
kitchen  fire,  the  dog  sleeping  at  his  feet.  "  I  declare,"  he 
said  smilingly,  "  I  feel  quite  at  home." 

In  the  morning,  after  attending  to  his  work,  he  went 
for  old  Jonathan  Johnson  and  installed  him  in  charge  of 
the  premises  ;  then  drove  to  the  almshouse  with  all  the 
surplus  butter  and  eggs  on  hand.  Tom  Watterly  arrived 
at  the  door  with  his  fast-trotting  horse  at  the  same  time, 
and  cried,  "  Hollo,  Jim  !  just  in  time.  I'm  a  sort  of  grass 
widower  to-day — been  taking  my  wife  out  to  see  her  sis- 
ter. Come  in  and  take  pot-luck  with  me  and  keep  up  my 
spirits." 

"  Well,  now,  Tom,"  said  Holcroft,  shaking  hands, 
"  I'm  glad,  not  that  your  wife's  away,  although  it  does 
make  me  downhearted  to  contrast  your  lot  and  mine,  but 
I'm  glad  you  can  give  me  a  little  time,  for  I  want  to  use 
that  practical  head  of  yours— some  advice,  you  know." 

"  All  right.     Nothing  to  do  for  an  hour  or  two  but  eat 


A   MOMENTOUS  DECISIOiW  163 

dinner  and  smoke  my  pipe  with  you.  Here,  Bill !  take 
this  team  and  feed  'em." 

•'  Hold  on,"  said  Holcroft.  "  I'm  not  going  to  sponge 
on  you.  I've  got  some  favors  to  ask,  and  I  want  you  to 
take  in  return  some  butter  half  spoiled  in  the  making  and 
this  basket  of  eggs.     They're  all  right." 

"  Go  to  thunder,  Holcroft !  what  do  you  take  me  for  ? 
When  you've  filled  your  pipe  after  dinner  will  you  pull  an 
tg%  out  of  your  pocket  and  say,  '  That's  for  a  smoke  '  ? 
No,  no,  I  don't  sell  any  advice  to  old  friends  like  you. 
I'll  buy  your  butter  and  eggs  at  what  they're  worth  and 
have  done  with  'em.  Business  is  one  thing,  and  sitting 
down  and  talking  over  an  old  crony's  troubles  is  another. 
I'm  not  a  saint.  Jim,  as  you  know — a  man  in  politics 
can't  be — but  I  remember  when  we  were  boys  together, 
and  somehow  thinking  of  those  old  days  always  fetches 
me.     Come  in,  for  dinner  is  a-waiting,  I  guess." 

"  Well,  Tom,  saint  or  no  saint,  I'd  like  to  vote  for  you 
for  gov'nor." 

"  This  aint  an  electioneering  trick,  as  you  know.  I  can 
play  them  off  as  well  as  the  next  feller  when  there's  need, 
kiss  the  babies  and  all  that." 

Dinner  was  placed  on  the  table  immediately,  and  in  a 
few  moments  the  friends  were  left  alone.  Then  Holcroft 
related  in  a  half  comic,  half  serious  manner  his  tribula- 
tions with  the  help.  Tom  sat  back  in  his  chair  and 
roared  at  the  account  of  the  pitched  battle  between  the 
two  widows  and  the  final  smoking  out  of  Mrs,  Mumpson, 
but  he  reproached  his  friend  for  not  having  horsewhipped 
Lemuel  Weeks.  "  Don't  you  remember,  Jim,  he  was  a 
sneaking,  tricky  chap  when  we  were  at  school  together  } 
I  licked  him  once,  and  it  always  does  me  good  to  think 
of  it." 


1 64     HR   FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  I  own  it  takes  considerable  to  rile  me  to  the  point  of 
striking  a  man,  especially  on  his  own  land.  His  wife  was 
looking  out  the  window,  too.  If  we'd  been  out  in  the 
road  or  anywhere  else — but  what's  the  use  ?  I'm  glad 
now  it  turned  out  as  it  has,  for  I've  too  much  on  my  mind 
for  lawsuits,  and  the  less  one  has  to  do  with  such  cattle 
as  Weeks  the  better.  Well,  you  see  I'm  alone  again, 
and  I'm  going  to  go  it  alone.  I'm  going  to  sell  my  cows 
and  give  up  the  dairy,  and  the  thing  I  wanted  help  in 
most  is  the  putting  this  auction  bill  in  shape ;  also  advice 
as  to  whether  I  had  better  try  to  sell  here  in  town  or  up 
at  the  farm," 

Tom  shook  his  head  dubiously  and  scarcely  glanced  at 
the  paper.  "Your  scheme  don't  look  practical  to  me," 
he  said.  "  I  don't  believe  you  can  run  that  farm  alone 
without  losing  money.  You'll  just  keep  on  going  behind 
till  the  first  thing  you  know  you'll  clap  a  mortgage  on  it. 
Then  you'll  soon  be  done  for.  What's  more,  you'll 
break  dow^n  if  you  try  to  do  both  outdoor  and  indoor 
w^ork.  Busy  times  will  soon  come,  and  you  won't  get 
your  meals  regularly  ;  you'll  be  living  on  coffee  and  any- 
thing that  comes  handiest ;  your  house  will  grow  untidy 
and  not  fit  to  live  in.  If  you  should  betaken  sick,  there'd 
be  no  one  to  do  for  you.  Lumbermen,  hunters,  and 
such  fellows  can  rough  it  alone  awhile,  but  I  never  heard 
of  a  farm  being  run  by  man-power  alone.  Now  as  to 
selling  out  your  stock,  look  at  it.  Grazing  is  what  your 
farm's  good  for  mostly.  It's  a  pity  you're  so  bent  on 
staying  there.  Even  if  you  didn't  get  very  much  for  the 
place,  from  sale  or  rent,  you'd  have  something  that  was 
sure.  A  strong,  capable  man  like  you  could  find  some- 
thing to  turn  your  hand  to.  Then  you  could  board  in 
some  respectable  family,  and  not  have  to  live  like  Robin- 


A   MOMENTOUS  DECISION.  165 

son  Crusoe.  I've  thought  it  over  since  we  talked  last, 
and  if  I  was  you  I'd  sell  or  rent." 

"  It's  too  late  in  the  season  to  do  either,"  said  Holcroft 
dejectedly.  "  What's  more,  I  don't  want  to,  at  least  not 
this  year.  I've  settled  that,  Tom.  I'm  going  to  have  one 
more  summer  on  the  old  place,  anyway,  if  I  have  to  live 
on  bread  and  milk." 

"You  can't  make  bread." 

"  I'll  have  it  brought  from  town  on  the  stage." 

"  Well,  it's  a  pity  some  good,  decent  woman There, 

how  should  I  come  to  forget  all  about  her  till  this  minute  } 
I  don't  know  whether  it  would  work.  Perhaps  it  would. 
There's  a  woman  here  out  of  the  common  run.  She  has 
quite  a  story,  which  I'll  tell  you  in  confidence.  Then  you 
can  say  whether  you'd  like  to  employ  her  or  not.  If  you 
7£/z7/stay  on  the  farm,  my  advice  is  that  you  have  a  woman 
to  do  the  housework,  and  me  and  Angy  must  try  to  find 
you  one,  if  the  one  I  have  in  mind  won't  answer.  The 
trouble  is,  Holcroft,  to  get  the  right  kind  of  a  woman  to 
live  there  alone  with  you,  unless  you  married  her.  Nice 
women  don't  like  to  be  talked  about,  and  I  don't  blame 
'em.  The  one  that's  here,  though,  is  so  friendless  and 
alone  in  the  world  that  she  might  be  glad  enough  to  get 
a  home  almost  anywheres." 

"  Well,  well !  tell  me  about  her,"  said  Holcroft  gloomily. 
"But  I'm  about  discouraged  in  the  line  of  women  help." 

Watterly  told  Alida's  story  with  a  certain  rude  pathos 
which  touched  the  farmer's  naturally  kind  heart,  and  he 
quite  forgot  his  own   need  in  indignation  at  the  poor 

woman's    wrongs.       "  Its    a    shame ! "    he    said 

excitedly,  pacing  the  room.  "  I  say,  Tom,  all  the  law  in 
the  land  wouldn't  keep  me  from  giving  that  fellow- a 
whipping  or  worse." 


i66     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  Well,  she  won't  prosecute  ;  she  won't  face  the  public; 
she  just  wants  to  go  to  some  quiet  place  and  work  for  her 
bread.  She  don't  seem  to  have  any  friends,  or  else  she's 
too  ashamed  to  let  them  know." 

"  Why,  of  course  I'd  give  such  a  woman  a  refuge  till  she 
could  do  better.     What  man  wouldn't }  " 

"  A  good  many  wouldn't.  What's  more,  if  she  went 
with  you  her  story  might  get  out,  and  you'd  both  be  talked 
about." 

"  I  don't  care  that  for  gossip,"  with  a  snap  of  his 
lingers.     "  You  know  I'd  treat  her  with  respect." 

"  What  I  know,  and  what  other  people  would  say,  are 
two  very  different  things.  Neither  you  nor  anyone  else 
can  go  too  strongly  against  public  opinion.  Still,  it's 
nobody's  business,"  added  Tom  thoughtfully.  '  Per- 
haps it's  worth  the  trial.  If  she  went  I  think  she'd  stay 
and  do  the  best  by  you  she  could.  Would  you  like  to 
see  her?  " 

"  Yes." 

Alida  was  summoned  and  stood  with  downcast  eyes  in 
the  door.  "  Come  in  and  take  a  chair,"  said  Tom  kindly. 
"  You  know  I  promised  to  be  on  the  lookout  for  a  good 
place  for  you.  Well,  my  friend  here,  Mr.  Holcroft,  whom 
I've  known  ever  since  I  was  a  boy,  wants  a  woman  to  do 
general  housework  and  take  care  of  the  dairy." 

She  gave  the  farmer  one  of  those  swift,  comprehensive 
glances  by  which  women  take  in  a  personality,  and  said 
in  a  tone  of  regret,  "  But  I  don't  understand  dairy  work.'* 

"  Oh,  you'd  soon  learn.  It's  just  the  kind  of  a  place  you 
said  you  wanted,  a  lonely,  out-of-the-way  farm  and  no 
other  help  kept.  What's  more,  my  friend  Holcroft  is  a 
kind,  honest  man.  He'd  treat  you  right.  He  knows  all 
about  your  trouble  and  is  sorry  for  you." 


A    MOMENTOUS  DECISIOX.  1 67 

If  Holcroft  had  been  an  ogre  in  appearance,  he  would 
have  received  the  grateful  glance  which  she  now  gave 
him  as  she  said,  "  I'd  be  only  too  glad  to  work  for  you, 
sir,  if  you  think  I  can  do,  or  learn  to  do,  what  is 
required." 

Holcroft,  while  his  friend  was  speaking,  had  studied 
closely  Alida's  thin,  pale  face,  and  he  saw  nothing  in  it 
not  in  harmony  with  the  story  he  had  heard.  "  I  am 
sorry  for  you,"  he  said  kindly.  "  I  believe  you  never 
meant  to  do  wrong  and  have  tried  to  do  right.  I  will  be 
perfectly  honest  with  you.  My  wife  is  dead,  the  help  I 
had  has  left  me,  and  I  live  alone  in  the  house.  The 
truth  is,  too,  that  I  could  not  afford  to  keep  two  in  help, 
and  there  would  not  be  work  for  them  both." 

Alida  had  learned  much  in  her  terrible  adversity,  and 
had,  moreover,  the  instincts  of  a  class  superior  to  the 
position  she  was  asked  to  take.  She  bowed  low  to  hide 
the  burning  flush  that  crimsoned  her  pale  cheeks  as  she 
faltered,  "  It  may  seem  strange  to  you,  sirs,  that  one 
situated  as  I  am  should  hesitate,  but  I  have  never  know- 
ingly done  anything  which  gave  people  the  right  to  speak 
against  me,     I  do  not  fear  work,  I  would  humbly  try  to 

do  my  best,  but "     She  hesitated  and  rose  as  if   to 

retire. 

"  I  understand  you,"  said  Holcroft  kindly,  "  and  I 
don't  blame  you  for  doing  what  you  think  is  right." 

"I'm  very  sorry,  sir,"  she  replied,  tears  coming  into 
her  eyes  as  she  went  out  of  the  room. 

"  There  it  is,  Holcroft,"  said  Tom.  "  I  believe  she's 
just  the  one  for  you,  but  you  can  see  she  isn't  of  the  com- 
mon kind.  She  knows  as  well  as  you  and  me  how  people 
would  talk,  especially  if  her  story  came  out,  as  like 
enough  it  will." 


I68      HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  Hang  people  !"  snarled  the  farmer. 

"  Yes,  a  good  lot  of  'em  deserve  hanging,  but  it 
wouldn't  help  you  any  just  now.  Perhaps  she'd  go  with 
you  if  you  got  another  girl  or  took  an  old  woman  from 
the  house  here  to  keep  her  company." 

"  I'm  sick  to  death  of  such  hags,"  said  the  farmer  with 
an  impatient  gesture.  Then  he  sat  down  and  looked  at 
his  friend  as  if  a  plan  was  forming  in  his  mind  of  which 
he  scarcely  dare  speak. 

"  Well,  out  with  it !  "  said  Tom. 

"  Have  you  ever  seen  a  marriage  ceremony  performed 
by  a  justice  of  the  peace  ?  "  Holcroft  asked  slowly. 

"  No,  but  they  do  it  often  enough.  What !  are  you 
going  to  offer  her  marriage  }  " 

"  You  say  she  is  homeless  and  friendless  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  And  you  believe  she  is  just  what  she  seems — just 
what  her  story  shows  her  to  be  ?  " 

"  Yes.  I've  seen  too  many  frauds  to  be  taken  in.  She 
isn't  a  fraud.  Neither  does  she  belong  to  that  miserable,, 
wishy-washy,  downhill  class  that  sooner  or  later  fetches 
up  in  a  poorhouse.  They  say  we're  all  made  of  dust,, 
but  some  seem  made  of  mud.  You  could  see  she  was 
out  of  the  common  ;  and  she's  here  on  account  of  the 
wrong  she  received  and  not  the  wrong  she  did.  I  say  al) 
this  in  fairness  to  her;  but  when  it  comes  to  marrying 
her,  that's  another  question." 

"  Tom,  as  I've  told  you,  I  don't  want  to  marry.  Irk 
fact,  I  couldn't  go  before  a  minister  and  promise  what  I'd 
have  to.  But  I  could  do  something  like  this.  I  could 
give  this  woman  an  honest  name  and  a  home.  It  would 
would  be  marriage  before  the  law.  No  one  could  ever 
say  a  word  against  either  of  us.     I  would  be  true  and 


A    MOMENTOUS  DECISION.  1 69 

kind  to  her  and  she  should  share  in  my  fortunes.  That's 
all.  You  have  often  advised  me  to  marry,  and  you  know 
if  I  did  it  couldn't  be  anything  else  but  a  business  affair. 
Then  it  ought  to  be  done  in  a  businesslike  way.  You 
say  I  Qan't  get  along  alone,  and  like  enough  ycu're  right. 
I've  learned  more  from  this  woman's  manner  than  I  have 
in  a  year  why  I  can't  get  and  keep  the  right  kind  of  help, 
and  I  now  feel  if  I  could  find  a  good,  honest  woman  who 
would  make  my  interests  hers,  and  help  me  make  a  living 
in  my  own  home,  I'd  give  her  my  name  and  all  the 
security  which  an  honest  name  conveys.  Now,  this  poor 
woman  is  in  sore  need  and  she  might  be  grateful  for  what 
I  can  do,  while  any  other  woman  would  naturally  expect 
me  to  promise  more  than  I  honestly  can.  Anyhow,  I'd 
have  to  go  through  the  form,  and  I  can't  and  won't  go 
and  say  sacred  words — just  about  what  I  said  when 
I  married  my  wife — and  know  all  the  time  I  was  lying." 

"Well,  Holcroft,  you're  a  queer  dick  and  this  is  a  queer 
plan  of  yours.  You're  beyond  my  depth  now  and  I  can't 
advise." 

"  Why  is  it  a  queer  plan  }  Things  only  seem  odd 
because  they  are  not  common.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  you 
advise  a  business  marriage.  When  I  try  to  follow  your 
advice  honestly  and  not  dishonestly,  you  say  I'm  queer." 

"  I  suppose  if  everybody  became  honest,  it  would  be 
the  queerest  world  ever  known,"  said  Tom,  laughing. 
"  Well,  you  might  do  worse  than  marr}'  this  woman.  I 
can  tell  you  that  marrying  is  risky  business  at  best. 
You  know  a  justice  will  tie  you  just  as  tight  as  a  minis- 
ter, and  while  I've  given  you  my  impression  about  this 
woman,  I  k?tow  little  about  her  and  you  know  next  to 
nothing." 

"  I  guess  that  would  be  the  case,  anyhow.     If  you  set 


I70     HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE, 

out  to  find  a  wife  for  me,  where  is  there  a  woman  that 
you  actually  do  know  more  about  ?  As  for  my  going 
here  and  there,  to  get  acquainted,  it's  out  of  the  question. 
All  my  feelings  rise  up  against  such  a  course.  Now,  I 
feel  sorry  for  this  woman.  She  has  at  least  my  sympathy. 
If  she  is  as  friendless,  poor,  and  unhappy  as  she  seems,  1 
might  do  her  as  great  a  kindness  as  she  would  do  for 
me  if  she  could  take  care  of  my  home.  I  wouldn't  expect" 
very  much.  It  would  be  a  comfort  just  to  have  some- 
one in  the  house  that  wouldn't  rob  or  waste,  and  who, 
knowing  what  her  station  was,  would  be  content.  Of 
course  I'd  have  to  talk  it  over  with  her  and  make  my 
purpose  clear.  She  might  agree  with  you  that  it's  too 
queer  to  be  thought  of.  If  so,  that  would  be  the  end  of 
it." 

"  Well,  Jim,  you  always  finish  by  half  talking  me  over 
to  your  side  of  a  question.  Now%  if  my  wife  was  home, 
I  don't  believe  she'd  listen  to  any  such  plan." 

"  No,  I  suppose  she  wouldn't.  She'd  believe  in  people 
marrying  and  doing  everything  in  the  ordinary  way.  But 
neither  I  nor  this  woman  is  in  ordinary  circumstances. 
Do  you  know  of  a  justice  }  " 

"  Yes,  and  you  know  him,  too  ;  Justice  Harkins." 

"  Why,  certainly.  He  came  from  our  town  and  I  knew 
him  when  he  was  a  boy,  although  I  haven't  seen  much 
of  him  of  late  years." 

"  Well,  shall  I  go  and  say  to  this  woman — Alida  Arm- 
strong is  her  name  now,  I  suppose — that  you  wish  to  see 
her  again  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  shall  tell  her  the  truth.     Then  she  can  decide." 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

HOLCROFT   GIVES   HIS   HAND. 

Alida  was  seated  by  a  window  with  some  of  the 
mending  in  which  she  assisted,  and,  as  usual,  was  apart 
by  herself.  Watterly  entered  the  large  apartment  quietly, 
and  at  first  she  did  not  observe  him.  He  had  time  to 
note  that  she  was  greatly  dejected,  and  when  she  saw 
him  she  hastily  wiped  tears  from  her  eyes. 

"  You  are  a  good  deal  cast  down,  Alida,"  he  said, 
watching  her  closely. 

"  I've  reason  to  be.  I  don't  see  any  light  ahead  at 
all." 

"  Well,  you  know  the  old  saying,  '  It's  darkest  before 
day.'  I  want  you  to  come  with  me  again.  I  think  I've 
found  a  chance  for  you." 

She  arose  with  alacrity  and  followed.  As  soon  as  they 
were  alone,  he  turned  and  looked  her  squarely  in  the  face 
as  he  said  gravely,  "  You  have  good  common  sense, 
haven't  you?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  sir,"  she  faltered,  perplexed  and  troubled 
by  the  question. 

"  Well,  you  can  understand  this  much,  I  suppose.  As 
superintendent  of  this  house  I  have  a  responsible  position, 
which  I  could  easily  lose  if  I  allowed  myself  to  be  mixed 
up  with  anything  wrong  or  improper.  To  come  right  to 
the  point,  you  don't  know  much  about  me  and  next  to 
nothing  of  my  friend  Holcroft,  but  can't  you  see  that  even 


172      HE   FELL   LN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

if  I  was  a  heartless,  good-for-nothing  fellow,  it  wouldn't 
be  wise  or  safe  for  me  to  permit  anything  that  wouldn't 
bear  the  light  ?  " 

"  I  think  you  are  an  honest  man,  sir.  It  would  be 
strange  if  I  did  not  have  confidence  when  you  have  judged 
me  and  treated  me  so  kindly.  But,  ]\Ir.  Watterly,  although 
helpless  and  friendless,  I  must  try  to  do  what  I  think  is 
best.  If  I  accepted  Mr.  Holcroft's  position  it  might  do 
him  harm.  You  know  how  quick  the  world  is  to  mis- 
judge. It  would  seem  to  confirm  everything  that  has 
been  said  against  me,"  and  the  same  painful  flush  again 
overspread  her  features. 

"  Well,  Alida,  all  that  you  have  to  do  is  to  listen 
patiently  to  my  friend.  Whether  you  agree  with  his  views 
or  not,  you  will  see  that  he  is  a  good-hearted,  honest  man. 
I  want  to  prepare  you  for  this  talk  by  assuring  you  that 
I've  known  him  since  he  was  a  boy,  that  he  has  lived  all 
his  life  in  this  region  and  is  known  by  many  others,  and 
that  I  wouldn't  dare  let  him  ask  you  to  do  anything  wrong, 
even  if  I  was  bad  enough." 

"  I'm  sure,  sir,  you  don't  wish  me  any  harm,"  she  again 
faltered  in  deep  perplexity. 

"  Indeed  I  don't.  I  don't  advise  my  friend's  course ; 
neither  do  I  oppose  it.  He's  certainly  old  enough  to  act 
for  himself.  I  suppose  I'm  a  rough  counselor  for  a  young 
woman,  but  since  you  appear  to  have  so  few  friends  I'm 
inclined  to  act  as  one.  Just  you  stand  on  the  question  of 
right  and  wrong,  and  dismiss  from  your  mind  all  foolish 
notions  of  what  people  will  say.  As  a  rule,  all  the  people 
in  the  world  can't  do  as  much  for  us  as  somebody  in 
particular.  Now  you  go  in  the  parlor  and  listen  like  a 
sensible  woman.  I'll  be  reading  the  paper,  and  the  girl 
will  be  clearing  off  the  table  in  the  next  room  here." 


HOLCROFT  GIVES  HIS  HAND.  173 

Puzzled  and  trembling,  Alida  entered  the  apartment 
where  Holcroft  was  seated.  She  was  so  embarrassed 
that  she  could  not  lift  her  eyes  to  him. 

"  Please  sit  down,"  he  said  gravely,  "  and  don't  be 
troubled,  much  less  frightened.  You  are  just  as  free  ta 
act  as  ever  you  were  in  your  life." 

She  sat  down  near  the  door  and  compelled  herself  to- 
look  at  him,  for  she  felt  instinctively  that  she  might  gather 
more  from  the  expression  of  his  face  than  from  his 
words. 

"  Alida  Armstrong  is  your  name,  Mr.  Watterly  tells 
me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Well,  Alida,  I  want  to  have  a  plain  business  talk  with 
you.  That's  nothing  to  be  nervous  and  worried  about, 
you  know.  As  I  told  you,  I've  heard  your  story.  It  has 
made  me  sorry  for  you  instead  of  setting  me  against  you. 
It  has  made  me  respect  you  as  a  right-minded  woman, 
and  I  shall  give  you  good  proof  that  my  words  are  true. 
At  the  same  time,  I  shan't  make  any  false  pretenses  to 
what  isn't  true  and  couldn't  be  true.  Since  I've  heard 
your  story,  it's  only  fair  you  should  hear  mine,  and  I 
ought  to  tell  it  first." 

He  went  over  the  past  very  briefly  until  he  came  to  the 
death  of  his  wife.  There  was  simple  and  homely  pathos 
in  the  few  sentences  with  which  he  referred  to  this  event. 
Then  more  fully  he  enlarged  upon  his  efforts  and  failure 
to  keep  house  with  hired  help.  Unconsciously,  he  had 
taken  the  best  method  to  enlist  her  sympathy.  The 
secluded  cottage  and  hillside  farm  became  realities  to  her 
fancy.  She  saw  how  the  man's  heart  clung  to  his  home, 
and  his  effort  to  keep  it  touched  her  deeply. 

"  Oh  !  "  she  thought,  "  I  do  wish  there  was  some  wa\/ 


174     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

for  me  to  go  there.  The  loneHness  of  the  place  which 
drove  others  away  is  the  chief  attraction  for  me.  Then 
it  would  be  pleasant  to  work  for  such  a  man  and  make 
his  home  comfortable  for  him.  It's  plain  from  his  words 
and  looks  that  he's  as  honest  and  straightforward  as  the 
day  is  long.  He  only  w'ants  to  keep  his  home  and  make 
his  living  in  peace." 

As  he  had  talked  her  nervous  embarrassment  passed 
away,  and  the  deep  sense  of  her  own  need  was  pressing 
upon  her  again.  She  saw  that  he  also  was  in  great  need. 
His  business  talk  was  revealing  deep  trouble  and  per- 
plexity. With  the  quick  intuitions  of  a  woman, her  mind 
went  far  beyond  his  brief  sentences  and  saw  all  the  diflfi- 
culties  of  his  lot.  His  feeling  reference  to  the  loss  of  his 
wife  proved  that  he  was  not  a  coarse-natured  man.  As 
he  spoke  so  plainly  of  his  life  during  the  past  year,  her 
mind  was  insensibly  abstracted  from  everything  but  his 
want  and  hers,  and  she  thought  his  farmhouse  afforded 
just  the  secluded  refuge  she  craved.  As  he  drew  near 
the  end  of  his  story  and  hesitated  in  visible  embarrass- 
ment, she  mustered  courage  to  say  timidly,  "  Would  you 
permit  a  suggestion  from  me  }  " 

"  W^hy,  certainly." 

"  You  have  said,  sir,  that  your  business  and  means 
would  not  allow  you  to  keep  two  in  help,  and  as  you  have 
been  speaking  I  have  tried  to  think  of  some  way.  The 
fact  that  your  house  is  so  lonely  is  just  the  reason  why  I 
should  like  to  work  in  it.  As  you  can  understand,  I  have 
no  wish  to  meet  strangers.  Now,  sir,  I  am  willing  to 
work  for  very  little ;  I  should  be  glad  to  find  such  a  quiet 
refuge  for  simply  my  board  and  clothes,  and  I  would  do 
my  very  best  and  try  to  learn  what  I  did  not  know.  It 
seems  to  me  that  if  I  worked  for  so  little  you  might  think 


HOLCROFT  GIVES  HIS  HAND.  175 

you  could  afford  to  hire  some  elderly  woman  also  ?  "  and 
she  looked  at  him  in  the  eager  hope  that  he  would  accept 
her  proposition. 

He  shook  his  head  as  he  replied,"  I  don't  know  of  any 
such  person,  I  took  the  best  one  in  this  house,  and  you 
know  how  she  turned  out." 

"  Perhaps  Mr.  Watterly  may  know  of  someone  else," 
she  faltered.  She  was  now  deeply  troubled  and  per- 
plexed again,  supposing  that  he  was  about  to  renew  his 
first  proposition  that  she  should  be  his  only  help. 

"  If  Mr.  Watterly  did  know  of  anyone  I  would  make 
the  trial,  but  he  does  not.  Your  offer  is  very  considerate 
and  reasonable,  but  " — and  he  hesitated  again,  scarcely 
knowing  how  to  go  on. 

"  I  am  sorry,  sir,"  she  said,  rising,  as  if  to  end  the 
interview. 

"  Stay,"  he  said,  "you  do  not  understand  me  yet.  Of 
course  I  should  not  make  you  the  same  offer  that  I  did  at 
first,  after  seeing  your  feeling  about  it,  and  I  respect  you 
all  the  more  because  you  so  respect  yourself.  What  I 
had  in  mind  was  to  give  you  my  name,  and  it's  an  honest 
name.  If  we  were  married  it  would  be  perfectly  proper 
for  you  to  go  with  me,  and  no  one  could  say  a  word 
against  either  of  us." 

"Oh  !  "  she  gasped,  in  strong  agitation  and  surprise. 

"  Now  don't  be  so  taken  aback.  It's  just  as  easy  for 
you  to  refuse  as  it  is  to  speak,  but  listen  first.  What 
seems  strange  and  unexpected  may  be  the  most  sensible 
thing  for  us  both.  You  have  your  side  of  the  case  to 
think  of  just  as  truly  as  I  have  mine;  and  I'm  not  for- 
getting, and  I  don't  ask  you  to  forget,  that  I'm  still  talk- 
ing business.  You  and  I  have  both  been  through  too 
much  trouble  and  loss  to  say  any  silly  nonsense  to  each 


176      HE   FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

other.  You've  heard  my  story,  yet  I'm  almost  a  strangei 
to  you  as  you  are  to  me.  We'd  both  have  to  take  con- 
siderable on  trust.  Yet  I  know  I'm  honest  and  well- 
meaning-,  and  I  believe  you  are.  Now  look  at  it.  Here 
•we  are,  both  much  alone  in  the  world — both  wishing  to 
live  a  retired,  quiet  life.  I  don't  care  a  rap  for  what 
people  say  as  long  as  I'm  doing  right,  and  in  this  case 
they'd  have  nothingto  say.  It's  our  own  business.  I  don't 
see  as  people  will  ever  do  much  for  you,  and  a  good  many 
would  impose  on  you  and  expect  you  to  work  beyond 
your  strength.  They  might  not  be  very  kind  or  consider- 
ate, either.     I  suppose  you've  thought  of  this  }  " 

"  Yes," she  replied  with  bowed  head.  "  I  should  meet 
coldness,  probably  harshness  and  scorn." 

"  Well,  you'd  never  meet  anything  of  the  kind  in  my 
house.  I  would  treat  you  with  respect  and  kindness. 
At  the  same  time,  I'm  not  going  to  mislead  you  by  a 
word.  You  shall  have  a  chance  to  decide  in  view  of  the 
whole  truth.  My  friend,  Mr.  Watterly,  has  asked  me 
more'n  once, '  Why  don't  you  marry  again  }  '  I  told  him 
I  had  been  married  once,  and  that  I  couldn't  go  before  a 
minister  and  promise  the  same  things  over  again  when 
they  wasn't  true.  I  can't  make  to  you  any  promises  or 
say  any  words  that  are  not  true,  and  I  don't  ask  or  expect 
you  to  do  what  I  can't  do.  But  it  has  seemed  to  me  that 
our  condition  was  out  of  the  common  lot — that  we  could 
take  each  other  for  just  what  we  might  be  to  each  other 
and  no  more.  You  would  be  my  wife  in  name,  and  I  do 
not  ask  you  to  be  my  wife  in  more  than  name.  You- 
would  thus  secure -a  good  home  and  the  care  and  protec- 
tion of  one  who  would  be  kind  to  you,  and  I  would  secure 
a  housekeeper — one  that  would  stay  with  me  and  make 
my  interests  hers.     It  would  be  a  fair,  square  arrange- 


HOLCROFT  GIVES  HIS  HAND.  I77 

ment  between  ourselves,  and  nobody  else's  business.  By 
taking  this  course,  we  don't  do  any  wrong  to  our  feelings 
or  have  to  say  or  promise  anything  tiiat  isn't  true." 

"  Yet  I  can't  help  saying,  sir,"  she  replied,  in  strong, 
yet  repressed  agitation,  "  that  your  words  sound  very 
strange;  and  it  seems  stranger  still  that  you  can  offer 
marriage  of  any  kind  to  a  woman  situated  as  I  am.  You 
know  my  story,  sir,"  she  added,  crimsoning,  "  and  all  may 
soon  know  it.     You  w'ould  suffer  wrong  and  injury." 

"  I  offer  you  open  and  honorable  marriage  before  the 
world,  and  no  other  kind.  Mr.  Watterly  and  others — as 
many  as  you  pleased — would  witness  it,  and  I'd  have  you 
given  a  certificate  at  once.  As  for  your  story,  it  has  only 
awakened  my  sympathy.  You  have  not  meant  to  do  any 
wrong.  Your  troubles  are  only  another  reason  in  my 
mind  for  not  taking  any  advantage  of  you  or  deceiving 
you  in  the  least.  Look  the  truth  squarely  in  the  face. 
I'm  bent  on  keeping  my  house  and  getting  my  living  as  I 
have  done,  and  I  need  a  housekeeper  that  will  be  true  to 
all  my  interests.  Think  how  I've  been  robbed  and 
wronged,  and  what  a  dog's  life  I've  lived  in  my  own 
home.  You  need  a  home,  a  support,  and  a  protector.  I 
couldn't  come  to  you  or  go  to  any  other  woman  and  say 
honestly  more  than  this.  Isn't  it  better  for  people  to  be 
united  on  the  ground  of  truth  than  to  begin  by  telling  a 
pack  of  lies  }" 

"  But — but  can  people  be  married  with  such  an  under- 
standing by  a  minister  ?     Wouldn't  it  be  deceiving  him  ?  " 

"  I  shall  not  ask  you  to  deceive  anyone.  Any  marriage 
that  either  you  or  I  could  now  make  would  be  practically 
a  business  marriage.  I  should  therefore  take  you,  if  you 
were  willing,  to  a  justice  and  have  a  legal  or  civil  marriage 
performed,  and  this  would  be  just  as  binding  as  any  other 


lyS      HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    IVIFE. 

in  the  eye  of  the  law.  It  is  often  done.  This  would  be 
much  better  to  my  mind  than  if  people,  situated  as  we 
are,  went  to  a  church  or  a  minister." 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  couldn't  do  that." 

"  Well,  now,  Alida,"  he  said,  with  a  smile  that  wonder- 
fully softened  his  rugged  features,  "  you  are  free  to  decide. 
It  may  seem  to  you  a  strange  sort  of  courtship,  but  we 
are  both  too  old  for  much  foolishness.  I  never  was  senti- 
mental, and  it  would  be  ridiculous  to  begin  now.  I'm 
full  of  trouble  and  perplexity,  and  so  are  you.  Are  you 
willing  to  be  my  wife  so  far  as  an  honest  name  goes,  and 
help  me  make  a  living  for  us  both  ?  That's  all  I  ask.  I, 
in  my  turn,  would  promise  to  treat  you  with  kindness  and 
respect,  and  give  you  a  home  as  long  as  I  lived  and  to 
leave  you  all  I  have  in  the  world  if  I  died.  That's  all  I 
could  promise.  I'm  a  lonely,  quiet  man,  and  like  to  be 
by  myself.  I  wouldn't  be  much  society  for  you.  I've 
said  more  to-day  than  I  might  in  a  month,  for  I  felt  that 
it  was  due  to  you  to  know  just  what  you  were  doing." 

"  Oh,  sir,"  said  Alida,  trembling,  and  with  tears  in  her 
eyes,  "  you  do  not  ask  much  and  you  offer  a  great  deal. 
If  you,  a  strong  man,  dread  to  leave  your  home  and  go 
out  into  the  world  you  know  not  where,  think  how  ter- 
rible it  is  for  a  weak,  friendless  woman  to  be  worse  than 
homeless.     I  have  lost  everything,  even  my  good  name." 

"  No,  no  !  not  in  my  eyes." 

"  Oh,  I  know,  I  know  !  "  she  cried,  wringing  her  hands. 
"  Even  these  miserable  paupers  like  myself  have  made 
me  feel  it.  They  have  burned  the  truth  into  my  brain 
and  heart.  Indeed,  sir,  you  do  not  realize  what  you  are 
doing  or  asking.  It  is  not  fit  or  meet  that  I  should  bear 
your  name.     You  might  be  sorry,  indeed." 

"Alida,"    said    Holcroft  gravely,  "I've  not  forgotten 


HOLCROFT  GIVES  HIS  HAND.  I79 

your  story,  and  you  shouldn't  forget  mine.  Be  sensible 
now.  Don't  I  look  old  enough  to  know  what  I'm 
about .''  " 

"  Oh,  oh,  oh  !  "  she  cried  impetuously,  "  if  I  were  only 
sure  it  was  right !  It  may  be  business  to  you,  but  it 
seems  like  life  or  death  to  me.  It's  more  than  death — I 
don't  fear  that— but  I  do  fear  life,  I  do  fear  the  desper- 
ate struggle  just  to  maintain  a  bare,  dreary  existence.  I 
do  dread  going  out  among  strangers  and  seeing  their 
cold  curiosity  and  their  scorn.  You  can't  understand  a 
woman's  heart.  It  isn't  right  for  me  to  die  till  God  takes 
me,  but  life  has  seemed  so  horrible,  meeting  suspicion  on 
one  side  and  cruel,  significant  looks  of  knowledge  on  the 
other.  I've  been  tortured  even  here  by  these  wretched 
hags,  and  I've  envied  even  them,  so  near  to  death,  yet 
not  ashamed  like  me.  I  know,  and  you  should  know, 
that  my  heart  is  broken,  crushed,  trampled  into  the  mire. 
i  had  felt  that  for  me  even  the  thought  of  marriage  again 
would  be  a  mockery,  a  wicked  thing,  which  I  would  never 
have  a  right  to  entertain.  I  never  dreamt  that  anyone 
would  think  of  such  a  thing,  knowing  what  you  know. 
Oh,  oh  !  why  have  you  tempted  me  so  if  it  is  not. right  .^ 
I  must  do  right.  The  feeling  that  I've  not  meant  to  do 
wrong  is  all  that  has  kept  me  from  despair.  But  can  it 
i)e  right  to  let  you  take  me  from  the  street,  tiie  poor- 
house,  with  nothing  to  give  but  a  blighted  name,  a  broken 
heart  and  feeble  hands  I  See,  I  am  but  the  shadow  of 
what  I  was,  and  a  dark  shadow  at  that.  I  could  be  only 
a  dismal  shadow  at  any  man's  hearth.  Oh,  oh  !  I've 
chought  and  suffered  until  my  reason  seemed  going. 
You  don't  realize,  you  don't  know  the  depths  into  which 
I've  fallen.     It  can't  be  right." 

Holcroft  was  almost  appalled  at  this  passionate  outburst 


l8o     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

in  one  who  thus  far  had  been  sad,  indeed,  yet  self- 
controlled.  He  looked  at  her  in  mingled  pity  and  con- 
sternation. His  own  troubles  had  seemed  heavy  enough, 
but  he  now  caught  glimpses  of  something  far  beyond 
trouble — of  agony,  of  mortal  dread  that  bordened  on 
despair.  He  could  scarcely  comprehend  how  terrible  to 
a  woman  like  Alidawere  the  recent  events  of  her  life,  and 
how  circumstances,  with  illness,  had  all  tended  to  create 
a  morbid  horror  of  her  situation.  Like  himself  she  was 
naturally  reticent  in  regard  to  her  deeper  feelings,  patient 
and  undemonstrative.  Had  not  his  words  evoked  this 
outburst  she  might  have  suffered  and  died  in  silence,  but 
in  this  final  conflict  between  conscience  and  hope,  the 
hot  lava  of  her  heart  had  broken  forth.  So  little  was  he 
then  able  to  understand  her,  that  suspicions  crossed  his 
mind.  Perhaps  his  friend  Watterly  had  not  heard  the 
true  story  or  else  not  the  whole  story.  But  his  straight- 
forward simplicity  stood  him  in  good  stead,  and  he  said 
gentlv,  "  Alida,  you  say  I  don't  know,  I  don't  realize.  I 
believe  you  will  tell  me  the  truth.  You  went  to  a  minis- 
ter and  was  married  to  a  man  that  you  thought  you  had  a 

right  to  marry " 

"You  shall  know  it  all  from  my  own  lips,"  she  said, 
interrupting  him  ;  "  you  have  a  right  to  know  ;  and  then 
you  will  see  that  it  cannot  be, "and  with  bowed  head,  and 
low,  rapid,  passionate  utterance,  she  poured  out  her 
story.  "That  woman,  his  wife,"  she  Qoncluded,  "  made 
me  feel  that  I  was  of  the  scum  and  offscouring  of  the 
earth,  and  they've  made  me  feel  so  here,  too— even  these 
wretched  paupers.  So  the  world  will  look  on  me  till  God 
takes  me  to  my  mother.  Oh,  thank  God!  she  don't 
know.  Don't  you  see,  now  ? "  she  asked,  raising  her 
despairing  eyes,  from   which   agony  had  dried  all  tears. 


HOLCROFT   GIVES  HIS  HAND.  I^I 

"  Yes.  I  see  you  do,"  she  added  desperately,  "  for  even 
you  have  turned  from  me." 

"  Confound  it ! "  cried  Holcroft,  standing  up  and 
searching  his  pockets  for  a  handkerchief,  "  I — I — I'd 
like— like  to  choke  that  fellow.  If  I  could  get  my  hands 
on  him,  there'd  be  trouble.  Turn  away  from  you,  you 
poor  wronged  creature  !  Don't  you  see  I'm  so  sorry  for 
you  that  I'm  making  a  fool  of  myself.^  I,  who  couldn't 
shed  a  tear  over  my  own  troubles — there,  there — come 
now,  let  us  be  sensible.  Let's  get  back  to  business,  for 
I  can't  stand  this  kind  of  thing  at  all.     I'm  so  confused 

betwixt  rage  at  him  and  pity  for  you Let  me  see; 

this  is  where  we  were  :  I  want  someone  to  take  care  of  my 
home,  and  you  want  a  home.  That's  all  there  is  about 
it  now.  If  you  say  so,  I'll  make  you  Mrs.  Holcroft  in  an 
hour." 

"  I  did  not  mean  to  work  upon  your  sympathies,  only 
to  tell  you  the  truth.  God  bless  you  !  that  the  impulses 
of  your  heart  are  so  kind  and  merciful.  But  let  me  be 
true  to  you  as  well  as  to  myself.  Go  away  and  think  it 
all  over  calmly  and  quietly.  Even  for  the  sake  of  being 
rescued  from  a  life  that  I  dread  far  more  than  death,  I 
cannot  let  you  do  that  which  you  may  regret  unspeakably. 
Do  not  think  I  misunderstand  your  offer.  It's  the  only 
one  I  could  think  of,  and  I  would  not  have  thought  of  it 
if  you  had  not  spoken.  I  have  no  heart  to  give.  I  could 
be  a  wife  only  in  name,  but  I  could  work  like  a  slave  for 
protection  from  a  cruel,  jeering  world  ;  I  could  hope  for 
something  like  peace  and  respite  from  suffering  if  I  only 
had  a  safe  refuge.  But  I  must  not  have  these  if  it  is  not 
right  and  best.  Good  to  me  must  not  come  through 
wrong  to  you." 

"Tush  !  tush  !  you  mustn't  talk  so.     I  can't  stand  it  at 


1 82      HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE. 

all.  I've  heard  your  story.  It's  just  as  I  supposed  at 
first,  only  a  great  deal  more  so.  Why,  of  course  it's  all 
right.  It  makes  me  beHeve  in  Providence,  it  all  turns  out 
so  entirely  for  our  mutual  good.  I  can  do  as  much  to 
help  you  as  you  to  help  me.  Now  let's  get  back  on  the 
sensible,  solid  ground  from  which  we  started.  The  idea 
of  my  wanting  you  to  work  like  a  slave  !  Like  enough 
some  people  would,  and  then  you'd  soon  break  down  and 
be  brought  back  here  again.  No,  no  ;  I've  explained  just 
what  I  wish  and  just  what  I  mean.  You  must  get  over 
the  notion  that  I'm  a  sentimental  fool,  carried  away  by 
my  feelings.  How  Tom  Watterly  would  laugh  at  the 
idea  !  My  mind  is  made  up  now  just  as  much  as  it 
would  be  a  week  hence.  This  is  no  place  for  you,  and  I 
don't  like  to  think  of  your  being  here.  My  spring  work 
is  pressing,  too.  Don't  you  see  that  by  doing  what  I  ask 
you  can  set  me  right  on  my  feet  and  start  me  uphill  again 
after  a  year  of  miserable  downhill  work  ?  You  have  only 
to  agree  to  what  I've  said,  and  you  will  be  at  home 
to-night  and  I'll  be  quietly  at  my  work  to-morrow.  Mr. 
Watterly  will  go  with  us  to  the  justice,  who  has  known 
me  all  myhfe.  Then,  if  anyone  ever  says  a  word  against 
you  he'll  have  me  to  settle  with.  Come,  Alida !  here's  a 
strong  hand  that's  able  to  take  care  of  you." 

She  hesitated  a  moment,  then  clasped  it  like  one  who  is 
sinking,  and  before  he  divined  her  purpose,  she  kissed 
and  bedewed  it  with  tears. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

A    BUSINESS    MARRIAGE. 

While  Holcroft's  sympathies  had  been  deeply  touched 
by  the  intense  emotion  of  gratitude  which  had  over- 
powered AUda,  he  had  also  been  disturbed  and  rendered 
somewhat  anxious.  He  was  actually  troubled  lest  the 
woman  he  was  about  to  marry  should  speedily  begin  to 
love  him,  and  develop  a  tendency  to  manifest  her  affec- 
tion in  a  manner  that  would  seem  to  him  extravagant  and 
certainly  disagreeable.  Accustomed  all  his  life  to  repress 
his  feelings,  he  wondered  at  himself  and  could  not  under- 
stand how  he  had  given  way  so  unexpectedly.  He  was 
not  sufficiently  versed  in  human  nature  to  know  that  the 
depth  of  Alida's  distress  was  the  adequate  cause.  If 
there  had  been  a  false  or  an  affected  word,  he  would  have 
remained  cool  enough.  In  his  inability  to  gauge  his  own 
nature  as  well  as  hers,  he  feared  lest  this  businesslike 
marriage  was  verging  toward  sentiment  on  her  part.  He 
did  not  like  her  kissing  his  hand.  He  was  profoundly 
sorry  for  her,  but  so  he  would  have  been  for  any 
other  woman  suffering  under  the  burden  of  a  great 
wrong.  He  felt  that  it  would  be  embarrassing  if  she 
entertained  sentiments  toward  him  which  he  could  not 
reciprocate,  and  open  manifestations  of  regard  would 
remind  him  of  that  horror  of  his  life,  Mrs.  Mumpson. 
He  was  not  incapable  of  quick,  strong  sympathy  in  any 


1 84     HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

instance  of  genuine  trouble,  but  he  was  one  of  those  men 
who  would  shrink  in  natural  recoil  from  any  marked  evi- 
dence of  a  woman's  preference  unless  the  counterpart  of 
her  regard  existed  in  his  own  breast. 

To  a  woman  of  Alida's  intuition  the  way  in  which  he 
withdrew  his  hand  and  the  expression  of  his  face  had  a 
world  of  meaning.  She  would  not  need  a  second  hint. 
Yet  she  did  not  misjudge  him ;  she  knew  that  he  meant 
what  he  had  said  and  had  said  all  that  he  meant.  She 
was  also  aware  that  he  had  not  and  never  could  under- 
stand the  depths  of  fear  and  suffering  from  which  his 
hand  was  lifting  her.  Her  gratitude  was  akin  to  that  of 
a  lost  soul  saved,  and  that  was  all  she  had  involuntarily 
expressed.  She  sat  down  again  and  quietly  dried  her 
eyes,  while  in  her  heart  she  purposed  to  show  her  grati- 
tude by  patient  assiduity  in  learning  to  do  what  he 
required. 

Holcroft  was  now  bent  upon  carrying  out  his  plan  as 
quickly  as  possible  and  returning  home.  He  therefore 
asked,  "  Can  you  go  with  me  at  once,  Alida  ?  " 

She  simply  bowed  her  acquiescence. 

"  That's  sensible.  Perhaps  you  had  better  get  ^-our 
things  ready  while  I  and  Mr.  Watterly  go  and  arrange 
with  Justice  Harkins. " 

Alida  averted  her  face  with  a  sort  of  shame  which  a 
woman  feels  who  admits  such  a  truth.  "  I  haven't  any- 
thing, sir,  but  a  hat  and  cloak  to  put  on.  I  came  away 
and  left  eveiything." 

"  And  I'm  glad  of  it,"  said  Holcroft  heartily.  "  I 
wouldn't  want  you  to  bring  anything  which  that  scoun- 
drel gave  you."  He  paced  the  room  thoughtfully  a 
moment  or  two  and  then  called  Watterly  in.  "  It's 
settled,  Tom.     Alida  will  be  Mrs.  Holcroft  as  soon  as  we 


A    BUSINESS  MARRIAGE.  185 

can  see  the  justice.  Do  you  think  we  could  persuade  him 
to  come  here  ?  " 

"  One  thing  at  a  time.  Mrs,  Holcroft, — I  may  as  well 
call  you  so,  for  when  my  friend  says  he'll  do  a  thing  he 
does  it, — I  congratulate  you.  I  think  you  are  well  out  of 
your  troubles.  Since  you  are  to  marry  my  old  friend,  we 
must  be  friends,  too,"  and  he  shook  her  heartily  by  the 
hand. 

His  words  and  manner  were  another  ray  of  light — 
a  welcome  rift  in  the  black  pall  that  had  gathered  round 
her. 

"  You  were  the  first  friend  I  found,  sir,  after — what 
happened,"  she  said  gratefully. 

"  Well,  you've  found  another  and  a  better  one  ;  and 
he'll  always  be  just  the  same.  Any  woman  might  be 
glad " 

"Come,  Tom,  no  more  of  that.  I'm  a  plain  old 
farmer  that  does  what  he  agrees,  and  that's  all  there  is 
about  it.  I've  told  Alida  just  what  I  wished  and  could 
do " 

"  I  should  hope  so,"  interrupted  Watterly,  laughing. 
"You've  taken  time  enough,  certainly,  and  I  guess  you've 
talked  more  than  you  have  before  in  a  year.'' 

"  Yes,  I  know  I'm  almost  as  bad  as  an  oyster  about 
talking  except  when  I'm  with  you.  Somehow,  we've 
always  had  a  good  deal  to  say  to  each  other.  In  this 
case,  I  felt  that  it  was  due  to  Alida  that  she  should  know 
all  about  me  and  understand  fully  just  how  I  felt  concern- 
ing this  marriage.  The  very  fact  that  she  hasn't  friends 
to  advise  her  made  it  all  the  more  needful  that  I  should 
be  plain  and  not  mislead  her  in  any  respect.  She  has 
just  as  good  a  right  to  judge  and  act  for  herself  as  any 
woman  in  the  land,  and  she  takes  me,  and  I  take  her,  with 


1 86     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

no  sentimental  lies  to  start  with.  Now  let's  get  back  to 
business.  I  rather  think,  since  Harkins  was  an  old 
acquaintance  of  mine,  he'll  come  up  here  and  marry  us^ 
don't  you  ?  Alida,  wouldn't  you  rather  be  married  here 
quietly  than  face  a  lot  of  strangers  }  You  can  have  your 
own  way.  I  don't  care  now  if  half  the  town  was 
present." 

"  Oh,  yes,  indeed,  sir  !  I  don't  want  to  meet  strangers — 
and — and — I'm  not  very  strong  yet.  I  thank  you  for  con- 
sidering my  feelings  so  kindly." 

"  Why,  that's  my  duty,"  replied  the  farmer.  "  Come, 
Watterly,  the  sun  is  getting  low,  and  we've  considerable 
to  do  yet  before  we  start  home." 

"  I'm  with  you.  Now,  Alida,  you  go  back  quietly  and 
act  as  if  nothing  had  happened  till  I  send  for  you.  Of 
course  this  impatient  young  groom  will  hurry  back  with 
the  justice  as  fast  as  possible.  Still,  we  may  not  find  him, 
or  he  may  be  so  busy  that  we  shall  have  to  come  back 
for  you  and  take  you  to  his  office." 

As  she  turned  to  leave  the  room,  Holcroft  gave  her  his 
hand  and  said  kindly,  "  Now  don't  you  be  nervous  or 
worried.  I  see  you  are  not  strong,  and  you  shall  not  be 
taxed  any  more  than  I  can  help.  Good-by  for  a  little 
while." 

Meantime  Watterly  stepped  out  a  moment  and  gave 
his  domestic  a  few  orders  ;  then  he  accompanied  Holcroft 
to  the  barn,  and  the  horses  were  soon  attached  to  the 
market  wagon.  '*  You're  in  for  it  now,  Jim,  sure  enough," 
he  said,  laughing.     "  What  will  Ang}-  say  to  it  all  }  " 

"  Tell  her  that  I  say  you've  been  a  mighty  good  friend 
to  me,  yet  I  hope  I  may  never  return  any  favors  of  the 
same  kind." 

"  By  jocks  !  I  hope  not.     I  guess  it's  just  as  well  she 


.  A    BUSINESS  MARRIAGE.  187 

was  away.  She'll  think  we've  acted  just  like  two  harum- 
scarum  men,  and  will  be  awfully  scandalized  over  your 
marrying  this  woman.  Don't  you  feel  a  little  nervous 
about  it?  " 

"  No  !  When  my  mind's  made  up,  I  don't  worry. 
Nobody  else  need  lie  awake,  for  it's  my  affair." 

"Well,  Jim,  you  know  how  I  feel  about  it,  but  I've 
got  to  say  something  and  I  might  as  well  say  it 
plain," 

"  That's  the  only  way  you  ought  to  say  it." 

"  Well,  you  talked  long  enough  to  give  me  plenty  of 
time  to  think.  One  thing  is  clear,  Angy  won't  take  to 
this  marriage.  You  know  I'd  like  to  have  you  both  come 
in  and  take  a  meal  as  you  always  have  done,  but  then  a 
man  must  keep  peace  with  his  wife,  and " 

"  I  understand,  Tom.  We  won't  come  till  Mrs. 
Watterly  asks  us." 

"  But  you  won't  have  hard  feelings  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed.  Aint  you  doing  your  level  best  as  a 
friend  ?  " 

"  Well,  you  know  women  are  so  set  about  these  things, 
and  Angy  is  rather  hard  on  people  who  don't  come  up  to 
her  mark  of  respectability.  What's  more,  I  suppose  you'll 
find  that  others  will  think  and  act  as  she  does.  If  you 
cared  about  people's  opinions  I  should  have  been  dead 
against  it,  but  as  you  feel  and  are  situated,  I'm  hanged  if 
I  don't  think  she's  just  the  one." 

"  If  it  hadn't  been  this  one,  I  don't  believe  it  would 
have  been  anyone.  Here  we  are,"  and  he  tied  his  horses 
before  the  ofifice  of  the  justice. 

Mr.  Harkins  greeted  Holcroft  with  a  sort  of  patronizing 
cordiality,  and  was  good  enough  to  remember  that  they 
had  been  at  the  little  country  schoolhouse  together.     In 


168      HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

Watterly  he  heartily  recognized  a  brother  politician  who 
controlled  a  goodly  number  of  votes. 

When  Holcroft  briefly  made  known  his  errand,  the 
justice  gave  a  great  guffaw  of  laughter  and  said,  "  Oh, 
bring  her  here!  and  I'll  invite  in  some  of  the  boys  as 
witnesses." 

"  I'm  not  afraid  of  all  the  witnesses  that  you  could 
crowd  into  a  ten-acre  lot,"  said  Holcroft  somewhat 
sternly,  "  but  there  is  no  occasion  to  invite  the  boys,  who- 
ever they  are,  or  anyone  else.  She  doesn't  want  to  be 
stared  at.  I  was  in  hopes,  Mr.  Harkins,  that  you'd  ride 
up  to  the  almshouse  with  us  and  quietly  marry  us  there." 

"  Well,  I  guess  you'd  better  bring  her  here.  I'm  pretty 
busy  this  afternoon,  and " 

"  See  here,  Ben,"  said  Watterly,  taking  the  justice  aside, 
"  Holcroft  is  my  friend,  and  you  know  I'm  mighty  thick 
with  my  friends.  They  count  more  with  me  than  my 
wife's  relations.  Now  I  want  you  to  do  what  Holcroft 
wishes,  as  a  personal  favor  to  me,  and  the  time  will  come 
when  I  can  make  it  up  to  you." 

"Oh,  certainly,  Watterly!  I  didn't  understand," 
replied  Harkins,  who  looked  upon  Holcroft  as  a  close 
and,  as  he  would  phrase  it,  no-account  farmer,  from  whom 
he  could  never  expect  even  a  vote.  "  I'll  go  with  you  at 
once.     It's  but  a  short  job." 

"  Well,"  said  Holcroft,  "  how  short  can  you  make  it?  " 

"  Let  me  get  my  book,"  and  he  took  from  a  shelf  the 
"  Justice's  Assistant."  "  You  can't  want  anything  shorter 
than  this?"  and  he  read,  "' By  this  act  of  joining  hands 
you  do  take  each  other  as  husband  and  wife  and  solemnly 
engage  in  the  presence  of  these  witnesses  to  love  and 
honor  and  comfort  and  cherish  each  other  as  such  so  long 
as  you  both  shall  live.     Therefore,  in  accordance  with  the 


A    B  USINE  SS   MA  RRIA  GE.  1 8  9 

law  of  the  State  of  New  York  I  do  hereby  pronounce  you 
husband  and  wife.'  A  sailor  couldn't  tie  a  knot  quicker 
than  that." 

"  1  guess  you  can,  justice,"  said  Holcroft,  taking  the 
book.  "  Suppose  you  only  read  this  much  :  '  By  this  act 
of  joining  hands  you  do  take  each  other  as  husband  and 
wife.  Therefore,  in  accordance  with  the  law,'  etc. 
Would  that  be  a  legal  marriage  }  " 

"  Certainly.  You'd  have  to  go  to  a  divorce  court  to 
get  out  of  that." 

"  It's  my  purpose  to  keep  out  of  courts  of  all  kinds. 
I'll  thank  you  to  read  just  that  much  and  no  more.  I 
don't  want  to  say  anything  that  isn't  exactly  true." 
•  "  You  see  how  it  is,  Ben.  Holcroft  hasn't  known  the 
woman  long,  and  she's  a  nice  woman,  too,  if  she  is  board- 
ing at  my  hotel.  Holcroft  needs  a  wife — must  have  one, 
in  fact,  to  help  run  his  house  and  dairy.  It  wasn't  exactly 
a  love  match,  you  know ;  and  he's  that  kind  of  a  man  that 
a  yoke  of  oxen  couldn't  draw  a  word  out  of  him  that  he 
didn't  mean." 

"  Yes,  yes  ;  I  see  now,"  said  Harkins.  "  I'll  read  just 
what  you  say  and  no  more." 

"And  I'll  have  a  little  spread  that  we  can  be  longer  at 
than  the  ceremony,"  added  Watterly,  who  was  inclined 
to  be  a  little  hilarious  over  the  affair. 

Holcroft,  however,  maintained  his  grave  manner,  and 
when  they  reached  the  almshouse  he  took  Watterly  aside 
and  said,  "  See  here,  Tom,  you've  been  a  good  friend  to- 
day and  seconded  me  in  everything.  Now  let  the  affair 
pass  off  just  as  quietly  and  seriously  as  possible.  She's 
too  cast  down  for  a  gay  wedding.  Suppose  we  had  a 
daughter  who'd  been  through  such  an  experience — a  nice, 
good,  modest   girl.     Her  heart's   too   sore    for   fun  and 


T90      HE   FELL   IX  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

jokes.     My  marrying  her  is  much  the  same  as  pulling 
iier  out  of  deep  water  in  which  she  was  sinking." 

"You're  right,  Jim.  I  didn't  think,  and  one  doesn't 
have  much  cause  to  be  so  sparing  of  the  feelings  of  such 
creatures  as  come  here.  But  she's  out  of  the  common 
run,  and  I  ought  to  have  remembered  i4:.  By  jocks ! 
you're  mighty  careful  about  promising  to  love,  cherish, 
-and  obey,  and  all  that,  but  I  guess  you'll  do  a  sight  more 
than  many  who  do  promise." 

"Of  course  I'm  going  to  be  kind.  That's  my  duty. 
Give  Harkins  a  hint.  Tell  him  that  she's  lost  her  mother. 
He  needn't  know  when  the  old  lady  died,  but  it  will  kind 
of  solemnize  him." 

Watterly  did  as  requested,  and  Harkins,  now  convinced 
that  his  political  interests  could  be  furthered  by  careful 
•compliance  with  all  requirements,  put  on  a  grave,  official 
air  and  was  ready  for  business. 

Alida  was  sent  for.  She  was  too  agitated  to  say  fare- 
Avell  to  any  of  the  poor  creatures  with  whom  she  had  been 
•compelled  to  associate — even  to  the  few  who,  though 
scarcely  sane,  had  manifested  tenderness  and  affection. 
She  had  felt  that  she  must  reserve  all  her  strength  for 
the  coming  ordeal,  which  she  both  welcomed  and  feared 
inexpressibly.  She  knew  how  critical  was  the  step  she 
was  taking  and  how  much  depended  on  it,  yet  the  more 
■she  thought,  the  more  it  seemed  to  her  as  if  Providence 
had,  as  by  a  miracle,  given  her  a  refuge.  Holcroft's 
businesslike  view  of  the  marriage  comforted  her  greatly, 
and  she  asked  God  to  give  her  health  and  strength  to 
Avork  faithfully  for  him  many  years. 

But  she  had  sad  misgivings  as  she  followed  the  mes- 
senger, for  she  felt  so  weak  that  she  could  scarcely  walk. 
It  was  indeed  a  pallid,  sorrowful,  trembling  bride  that 


A   BUSLVESS  MARRIAGE.  I9» 

entered  Mr.  Watterly's  parlor.  Holcroft  met  her  and, 
taking  her  hand,  said  kindly,  "  Courage  !  It  will  be  over 
in  a  minute." 

She  was  so  pale  and  agitated  that  the  justice  asked, 
"  Do  you  enter  into  this  marriage  freely  and  without 
compulsion  of  any  kind  ?  " 

"  Please  let  me  sit  dow^n  a  moment,"  she  faltered,  and 
Watterly  hastened  to  give  her  a  chair.  She  fixed  her  eyes 
on  Holcroft  and  said  anxiously,  "  You  see,  sir,  how  weak 
I  am.  I  have  been  sick  and — and  I  fear  I  am  far  from 
being  well  now.  I  fear  you  will  be  disappointed — that 
it  is  not  right  to  you,  and  that  I  may  not  be  able " 

"  Alida,"  interrupted  Holcroft  gravely,  "  I'm  not  one 
to  break  my  word.  Home  and  quiet  will  soon  re- 
store you.  Answer  the  justice  and  tell  him  the  exact 
truth." 

No  elixir  could  have  brought  hope  and  courage  like 
that  word  "home."  She  rose  at  once  and  said  to 
Harkins,  "  I  have  consented  to  Mr.  Holcroft's  wishes 
with  feelings  of  the  deepest  gratitude." 

"  Very  well.     Join  hands." 

She  hesitated  and  looked  for  a  moment  at  Holcroft 
with  strange  intensity. 

"  It's  all  right,  Alida,"  he  said  with  a  smile.     "  Come  ! " 

His  perfect  honesty  and  steadfastness  of  purpose  stood 
him  in  good  stead  then,  for  she  came  at  once  to  his  side 
and  took  his  hand. 

Justice  Harkins  solemnly  opened  his  big  book  and 
read, '"  By  this  act  of  joining  hands  you  do  take  each 
other  as  husband  and  wife.  Therefore,  in  accordance 
with  the  law  of  the  State  of  New  York,  I  do  hereby  pro- 
nounce you  husband  and  wife.'     That's  all." 

"  I  don't  think  you'll  ever  be  sorry,  Alida,"  said  Hoi- 


192      HE  FELL   LX  LOVE    IVLTH  HLS    IVLFE. 

croft,  pressing  her  hand  as  he  led  her  to  a  chair.  Wat- 
terly  again  bustled  up  with  congratulations,  and  then 
said,  "  You  must  all  come  out  now  to  a  little  supper,  and 
also  remember  that  it  was  gotten  up  in  a  hurry." 

The  domestic  stared  at  Alida  and  Holcroft,  and  then, 
surmising  what  had  taken  place,  was  so  excited  that  she 
could  scarcely  wait  on  the  guests. 

Holcroft,  with  the  simple  tact  which  genuine  kindness 
usually  suggests,  was  attentive  to  his  bride,  but  man- 
aged, by  no  slight  effort  for  him,  to  engage  the  two  men 
in  general  conversation,  so  that  Alida  might  have  time 
to  recover  her  composure.  His  quiet,  matter-of-fact  bear- 
ing was  reassuring  in  itself.  A  cup  of  strong  tea  and  a 
little  old  currant  wine,  which  Watterly  insisted  on  her 
taking,  brightened  her  up  not  a  little.  Indeed  her  weak- 
ness was  now  largely  due  to  the  want  of  nourishment 
suited  to  her  feeble  condition.  Moreover,  both  nerves 
and  mind  found  relief  and  rest  in  the  consciousness  that 
the  decisive  step  had  been  taken.  She  was  no  longer 
shuddering  and  recoiling  from  a  past  in  which  each  day 
had  revealed  more  disheartening  elements.  Her  face 
was  now  toward  a  future  that  promised  a  refuge, 
security,  and  even   hope. 

The  quiet  m.eal  was  soon  over.  Holcroft  put  a  five- 
dollar  bill  in  the  hands  of  the  justice,  who  filled  in  a 
certificate  and  departed,  feeling  that  the  afternoon  had 
not  been  spent  in  vain. 

"  Jim,"  said  Watterl}-,  drawing  his  friend  aside,  "you'll 
want  to  make  some  purchases.  You  know  she's  only 
what  she  wears.     How  are  you  off  for  money  ?  " 

"Well,  Tom,  you  know  I  didn't  expect  anything  of 
this  kind  when " 

"  Of  course  I  know  it.     Will  fifty  answer  ?  " 


A    BUSINESS  MARRIAGE.  193 

"Yes.  You're  a  good  friend.  I'll  return  it  in  a  day 
or  two." 

"  Return  it  when  you're  a  mind  to.  I  say,  Alida,  I 
want  you  to  take  this.  Jim  Holcroft  can't  get  married 
and  his  bride  not  receive  a  present  from  me,"  and  he  put 
ten  dollars  in  her  hand. 

Tears  rushed  to  her  eyes  as  she  turned  them  inquir- 
ingly to  Holcroft  to  know  what  she  should  do. 

"  Now  see  here,  Tom,  you've  done  too  much  for  us 
already." 

"Shut  up,  Jim  Holcroft!  Don't  you  end  the  day  by 
hurting  my  feelings  !  It's  perfectly  right  and  proper  for 
me  to  do  this.  Good-by,  Alida.  I  don't  believe  you'll 
ever  be  sorry  you  found  your  way  to  my  hotel." 

Alida  took  his  proffered  hand,  but  could  only  falter, 
"I — I  can  never  forget." 


CHAPTER   XX. 

UNCLE  JONATHAN'S   IMPRESSION   OF   THE    BRIDE. 

"  Now,  Alida,"  said  Holcroft,  as  they  drove  away,  "  re- 
member that  we  are  two  middle-aged,  sensible  people. 
At  least  I'm  middle-aged,  and  fairly  sensible,  too,  I  hope. 
You'll  need  to  buy  some  things,  and  I  want  you  to  get 
all  you  need.  Don't  stint  yourself,  and  you  needn't 
huny  so  as  to  get  tired,  for  we  shall  have  moonlight 
and  there's  no  use  trying  to  get  home  before  dark.  Is 
there  any  particular  store  which  you'd  like  to  go  to  ?  " 

"  No,  sir;  only  I'd  rather  go  over  on  the  east  side  of 
the  town  where  I'm  not  known." 

"  That  suits  me,  for  it's  the  side  nearest  home  and  I 
ain  known  there." 

"  Perhaps — perhaps  you  also  would  rather  go  this 
evening  where  you  are  not  known,"  she  said  hesitatingly. 

"  It  makes  no  difference  to  me.  In  fact  I  know  of  a 
place  where  you'll  have  a  good  choice  at  reasonable 
rates." 

"  I'll  go  where  you  wish,"  she  said  quietly. 

They  soon  entered  a  large  shop  together,  and  the  pro- 
prietor said  pleasantly,  "Good-evening,  Mr.  Holcroft." 

"  Good-evening,  Mr.  Jasper.  My  wife  wants  to  get 
some  things.  If  you'll  be  good  enough  to  wait  on  her 
I'll  step  out  to  do  two  or  three  errands." 

The  merchant  looked  curiously  at  Alida,  but  was  too 


UNCLE  JONATHAN'S  IMPRESSION.        195 

•polite  to  ask  questions  or  make  comments  on  her  very 
simple  purchases.  Her  old  skill  and  training  were  of 
service  now.  She  knew  just  what  she  absolutely  needed, 
and  bought  no  more. 

Holcroft  laid  in  a  good  stock  of  groceries  and  some 
juicy  beef  and  then  returned.  When  Mr.  Jasper  gave 
him  his  bill  he  went  to  Alida,  who  was  resting,  and 
said  in  a  low  voice,  "  This  won't  do  at  all.  You  can't 
have  bought  half  enough." 

For  the  first  time  something  like  a  smile  flitted  across 
her  face,  as  she  replied,  "  It's  enough  to  begin  with.  I 
know." 

"  Really,  Mr.  Holcroft,  I  didn't  know  you  were  married," 
said  the  merchant.     "  I  must  congratulate  you," 

"  Well,  I  am.     Thank  you.     Good-night." 

A  few  moments  later  he  and  his  wife  were  bowling 
out  of  town  toward  the  hills.  Reaching  one  of  these, 
the  horses  came  down  to  a  walk  and  Holcroft  turned  and 
said,  "  Are  you  very  tired.  Alida  ?  I'm  troubled  about 
you  taking  this  long  ride.     You  have  been  so  sick." 

"  I'm  sorry  I'm  not  stronger,  sir,  but  the  fresh  air 
seems  to  do  me  good  and  I  think  I  can  stand  it." 

"  You  didn't  promise  to  obey  me,  did  you  ?  "  with  a 
rather  nervous  little  laugh. 

"  No,  sir,  but  I  will." 

"  That's  a  good  beginning.  Now  see  what  an  old 
tyrant  I  am.  In  the  first  place,  I  don't  want  you  to  say 
'  sir  '  to  me  any  more.  My  name  is  James.  In  the 
second  place,  you  must  work  only  as  I  let  you.  Your 
first  business  is  to  get  strong  and  well,  and  you  know  we 
agreed  to  marry  on  strictly  business  grounds." 

"  I  understand  it  well,  but  I  think  you  are  very  kind 
(for  a  business  man." 


196      HE  FELL   LN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  Oh  !  as  to  that,  if  I  do  say  it  of  myself,  I  don't  think 
it's  my  nature  to  be  hard  on  those  who  treat  me  square. 
I  think  we  shall  be  very  good  friends  in  our  quiet  way, 
and  that's  more  than  can  be  said  of  a  good  many  who 
promise  more  than  they  seem  to  remember  afterward." 

"  I  will  try  to  do  all  you  wish,  for  I  am  very  grateful," 

"  If  you  do,  you  may  find  I'm  as  grateful  as  you  are." 

"  That  can  never  be.  Your  need  and  mine  were  very 
different.  But  I  shall  try  to  show  my  gratitude  by  learn- 
ing your  ways  and  wishes  and  not  by  many  words  of 
thanks." 

"  Thank  the  Lord  !  "  mentally  ejaculated  the  farmer, 
"  there's  no  Mrs.  Mumpson  in  this  case;"  but  he  only 
said  kindly,  "  I  think  we  understand  each  other  now, 
Alida.  I'm  not  a  man  of  words  either,  and  I  had  better 
show  by  actions  also  what  I  am.  The  fact  is,  although 
we  are  married,  we  are  scarcely  acquainted,  and  people 
can't  get  acquainted  in  a  day." 

The  first  long  hill  was  surmounted  and  away  they 
bowled  again,  past  cottage  and  farmhouse,  through  strips 
of  woodland  and  between  dusky  fields  from  which  came 
the  fragrance  of  the  springing  grass  and  the  peepings  of 
the  hylas.  The  moon  soon  rose,  full-orbed,  above  the 
higher  eastern  hills,  and  the  mild  April  evening  became 
luminous  and  full  of  beauty. 

A  healing  sense  of  quiet  and  security  already  began  to 
steal  into  Alida's  bruised  heart.  In  turning  her  back 
upon  the  town  in  which  she  had  suffered  so  greatly,  she 
felt  like  one  escaping  from  prison  and  torture.  An  in- 
creasing assurance  of  safety  came  with  every  mile ;  the 
cool,  still  radiance  of  the  night  appeared  typical  of  her 
new  and  most  unexpected  experience.  Light  had  risen 
on  her  shadowed  path,  but  it  was  not  warm,  vivifying 


UNCL  E  JON  A  THA  N '  S  IMP  RE  SS/ON.        1 9  7 

sunlight,  which  stimulates  and  develops.  A  few  hours 
before  she  was  in  darkness  which  might  be  felt — yet  it 
was  -1  gloom  shot  through  and  through  with  lurid  threat- 
ening gleams.  It  had  seemed  to  her  that  she  had  fallen 
from  home,  happiness,  and  honor  to  unfathomed  depths, 
and  yet  there  had  appeared  to  be  deeper  and  darker 
abysses  on  every  side.  She  had  shuddered  at  the  thought 
of  going  out  into  the  world,  feeling  that  her  misfortune 
would  awaken  suspicion  rather  than  sympathy,  scorn 
instead  of  kindness ;  that  she  must  toil  on  until  death,  to 
sustain  a  life  to  which  death  would  come  as  God's  wel- 
come messenger.  Then  had  come  this  man  at  her  side, 
with  his  comparatively  trivial  troubles  and  perplexities, 
and  he  had  asked  her  help — she  who  was  so  helpless. 
He  had  banished  despair  from  her  earthly  future,  he  had 
lifted  her  up  and  was  bearing  her  away  from  all  which 
she  had  so  dreaded  ;  nothing  had  been  asked  which  her 
crushed  spirit  was  unable  to  bestow ;  she  was  simply 
expected  to  aid  him  in  his  natural  wish  to  keep  his  home 
and  to  live  where  he  had  always  dwelt.  His  very  inability 
to  understand  her,  to  see  her  broken,  trampled  life  and 
immeasurable  need  as  she  saw  it,  brought  quietness  of 
mind.  The  concentration  of  his  thoughts  on  a  few 
homely  and  simple  hopes  gave  her  immunity.  With 
quick  intuition,  she  divined  that  she  had  not  a  whimsical, 
jealous,  exacting  nature  to  deal  with.  He  was  the  plain, 
matter-of-fact  man  he  seemed  ;  so  literal  and  absolutely 
truthful  that  he  would  appear  odd  to  most  people.  To 
her  mind,  his  were  the  traits  which  she  could  now  most 
welcome  and  value.  He  knew  all  about  her,  she  had 
merely  to  be  herself,  to  do  what  she  had  promised,  in  order 
to  rest  securely  on  his  rock-like  truth.  He  had  again 
touched  a  deep,  grateful  chord  in  speaking  of  her  to  the 


198     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE, 

shopkeeper  as  his  wife  ;  he  showed  no  disposition  what- 
ever to  shrink  from  the  relation  before  the  world ;  it  was 
evident  that  he  meant  to  treat  her  with  respect  and  kind- 
ness, and  to  exact  respect  from  others.  For  all  this, 
while  sitting  quietly  and  silently  at  his  side,  she  thanked 
him  almost  passionately  in  her  heart ;  but  far  more  than 
for  all  this  she  was  glad  and  grateful  that  he  would  not 
expect  what  she  now  felt  it  would  be  impossible  for  her 
to  give — the  love  and  personal  devotion  which  had  been 
inseparable  from  marriage  in  her  girlhood  thoughts. 
He  would  make  good  his  words— she  should  be  his  wife 
in  name  and  be  respected  as  such.  He  was  too  simple 
and  true  to  himself  and  his  buried  love,  too  considerate 
of  her,  to  expect  more.  She  might  hope,  therefore,  as  he 
had  said,  that  they  might  be  helpful,  loyal  friends,  and 
he  would  have  been  surprised  indeed  had  he  known  how 
the  pale,  silent  woman  beside  him  was  longing  and 
hoping  to  till  his  home  with  comfort. 

Thoughts  like  these  had  inspired  and  sustained  her 
while  at  the  same  time  ministering  the  balm  of  hope. 
The  quiet  face  of  nature,  lovely  in  the  moonlight,  seemed 
to  welcome  and  reassure  her.  Happy  are  those  who, 
when  sorely  wounded  in  life,  can  turn  to  the  natural 
world  and  find  in  every  tree,  shrub,  and  flower  a  com- 
forting friend  that  will  not  turn  from  them.  Such  are 
not  far  from  God  and  peace. 

The  range  of  Holcroft's  thoughts  was  far  simpler  and 
narrower  than  Alida's.  He  turned  rather  deliberately 
from  the  past,  preferring  to  dwell  on  the  probable  con- 
summation of  his  hope.  His  home,  his  farm,  were  far 
more  to  him  than  the  woman  he  had  married.  He  had 
wedded  her  for  their  sake,'  and  his  thoughts  followed 
his  heart,  which  was  in  his  hillside  acres.     It  is  said  that 


UNCLE  JON  A  THA  N '  S  IMP  RE  SSION.        1 9  9 

women  often  marry  for  a  home ;  he  truly  had  done  so  to 
keep  his  home.  The  question  which  now  most  occupied 
him  was  the  prospect  of  doing  this  through  quiet,  pros- 
perous years.  He  dwelt  minutely  on  Alida's  manner,  as 
well  as  her  words,  and  found  nothing  to  shake  his  belief 
that  she  had  been  as  truthful  as  himself.  Nevertheless, 
he  queried  in  regard  to  the  future  with  not  a  little  anxiety. 
In  her  present  distress  and  poverty  she  might  naturally 
be  glad  of  the  refuge  he  had  offered ;  but  as  time  passed, 
-and  the  poignancy  of  bitter  memories  was  allayed,  might 
not  her  life  on  the  farm  seem  monotonous  and  dull, 
might  not  weariness  and  discontent  come  into  her  eyes 
in  place  of  gratitude  ?  "  Well,  well !  "  he  concluded,  "  this 
marrying  is  a  risky  experiment  at  best,  but  Tom  Wat- 
terly's  talk  and  her  manner  seemed  to  shut  me  up  to  it. 
I  was  made  to  feel  that  I  couldn't  go  on  in  any  other 
way;  and  I  haven't  done  anything  underhanded  or 
wrong,  as  I  see,  for  the  chance  of  going  on.  If  I  hadn't 
become  such  a  heathen  I  should  say  there  was  a  Provi- 
dence in  it,  but  I  don't  know  what  to  think  about  such 
things  any  more.  Time  '11  show,  and  the  prospect  is 
better  than  it  has  been  yet.  She'll  never  be  sorry  if  she 
carries  out  the  agreement  made  to-day,  if  kindness  and 
good  will  can  repay  her." 

Thus  it  may  be  seen  that,  although  two  life  currents 
had  become  parallel,  they  were  still  very  distinct. 

By  the  time  Holcroft  approached  the  lane  leading  to 
his  dwelling  Alida  was  growing  very  weary,  and  felt  that 
her  endurance  had  almost  reached  its  limit.  Her  face 
Avas  so  white  in  the  moonlight  that  he  asked  solicitously, 
"'  You  can  stand  it  a  little  longer,  can't  you  ?  " 

"  I  '11  try.     I'm  very  sorry  I'm  not  stronger." 

"  Don't  you  worry  about  that !    You  won't  know  your- 


200     HE   FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE, 

self  in  a  week.  Here  we  are  at  the  lane  and  there's  the 
house  yonder.  A  moment  or  two  more  and  you'll  be  by 
the  fire." 

A  loud  barking  startled  old  Jonathan  Johnson  out  of 
his  doze,  and  he  hastened  to  replenish  the  fire  and  to 
call  off  his  rather  savage  dog.  He  was  a  little  surprised 
to  see  Holcroft  drive  toward  the  kitchen  door  with  a 
woman  by  his  side.  "  He's  tried  his  luck  with  another  of 
them  town  gals,"  he  muttered,  "  but,  Jerusalem  !  she 
v;on't  stay  a  week,  an'  my  old  woman  '11  have  the  washin' 
an'  mendin'  all  the  same." 

He  could  scarcely  believe  his  ears  and  eyes  when  he 
heard  the  farmer  say,  "Alida,  you  must  let  me  lift  you 
out,"  and  then  saw  the  "  town  gal  "  set  gently  on  the 
ground,  her  hand  placed  on  Holcroft's  arm  as  she  was 
supported  slowly  and  carefully  to  the  rocking  chair 
beside  the  fire. 

"Jonathan,"  was  the  quiet  announcement,  "this  is 
Mrs.  Holcroft,  my  wife." 

"  Jeru — beg  a  pardon.  Wasn't  'spectin'  jis'  sich  a  turn 
o'  things.  Respects,  missus!  Sorry  to  see  yer  enj'yin' 
poor  health." 

"  Yes,  Jonathan,  Mrs.  Holcroft  has  been  sick,  but  she's 
much  better  and  will  soon  be  well.  She's  very  tired  now 
from  the  long  drive,  but  quiet  life  and  country  air  will 
soon  make  her  strong.  I'll  just  step  out  and  care 
for  the  horses,  Alida,  and  soon  be  back  again.  You 
come  and  help  me,  Jonathan,  and  keep  your  dog  off» 
too." 

The  old  man  complied  with  rather  poor  grace,  for  he 
would  have  preferred  to  interview  the  bride,  at  whom  he 
was  staring  with  all  his  weak,  watery  eyes.  Holcroft 
understood  his  neighbor's  peculiarities  too  well  to  sub- 


UNCLE  JONATHAN'S  IMPRESSION.        201 

ject  his  wife  to  this  ordeal,  and  was  bent  on  dispatching 
Jonathan  homeward  as  soon  as  possible. 

"  I  say,  Jim,"  said  the  old  guardsman,  who  felt  that  he 
was  speaking  to  the  boy  he  had  known  for  thirty  odd 
years,  "  where  on  airth  did  you  pick  up  sich  a  sickly 
lookin'  critter?  " 

"  I  didn't  pick  her  up,"  replied  the  farmer  laughingly. 
"I  married  her  fair  and  square,  just  as  you  did  your  wife 
a  hundred  years  ago,  more  or  less.  Haven't  I  as  good 
a  right  to  get  married  as  you  had  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  aint  a-disputin'  yer  right,  but  it  seems  so  kind 
o'  suddint  that  it's  taken  what  little  breath  I've  left." 

"  How  do  you  know  it's  sudden  }  Did  you  go  around 
telling  everyone  how  you  were  getting  on  when  you  were 
a-courting  }  " 

"  Well,  I  swan  !  yer  got  me.  'Taint  so  long  ago  that 
I  disremember  we  did  it  on  the  sly." 

"  Well  now,  Uncle  Jonathan,  you've  got  nothing  to 
say  against  me,  for  I  didn't  marry  on  the  sly,  although 
I've  gone  on  the  principle  that  my  business  wasn't  every- 
body's business.  When  I  saw  your  wife  about  my  wash- 
ing and  mending  I  didn't  know  I  was  going  to  be  lucky 
so  soon.  You  know  you  can't  marry  a  woman  in  this 
country  till  she's  willing.  But  tell  your  wife  she  shan't 
lose  anything,  and  the  next  time  I  go  to  town  I'll  leave 
that  settin'  of  eggs  she  wanted.  Now,  Jonathan,  honor 
bright,  do  you  feel  able  to  walk  home  if  I  give  you  fifty 
cents  extra .''  " 

"Why,  sartinly !  s'pose  I'd  take  yer  away  on  sich  a 
'casion  ?     My  wife  wouldn't  let  me  in  if  she  knowed  it." 

"  Well,  you  and  your  wife  are  good  neighbors,  and 
that's  more'n  I  can  say  for  most  people  in  these  parts. 
Here's  the  money.     Mrs.   Holcroft  isn't  strong  or  well 


202      HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE. 

enough  to  talk  any  to-night.  You  got  yourself  a  good 
supper,  didn't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes !  helped  myself  bount'fully.  Good-night, 
and  good  luck  ter  yer.  I  can't  help  thinkin'  it  was  kind 
o'  suddint  though,  and  then  she's  sich  a  sickly  lookin' 
critter.  Hope  yer  haven't  been  taken  in,  but  then,  as  you 
say,  the  marryin'  business,  like  other  kinds  o'  business,  is 
a  man's  own  business," 

"  I  hope  everyone  will  take  your  sensible  view,  Uncle 
Jonathan.     Good-night." 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

AT    HOME. 

Alida  was  not  so  cold,  weary,  and  almost  faint  but 
that  she  looked  around  the  old  kitchen  with  the  strongest 
interest.  This  interest  was  as  unlike  Mrs.  Mumpson's 
curiosity  as  she  was  unlike  the  widow.  It  is  true  the 
thought  of  self  was  prominent,  yet  hers  were  not  selfish 
thoughts.  There  are  some  blessed  natures  in  the  world 
that  in  doing  the  best  for  themselves  do  the  best  that  is 
possible  for  others. 

The  genial  warmth  of  the  fire  was  grateful  to  her 
chilled  and  enfeebled  frame  ;  the  homely  kitchen,  with 
its  dresser  of  china  ware,  its  tin  closet  and  pantry,  the 
doors  of  which  old  Jonathan  had  left  open,  manlike, 
after  helping  himself  "  bount'fully,"  all  suggested  more 
comfort  to  this  pallid  bride,  sitting  there  alone,  than 
wealth  of  ornament  in  elegant  apartments  has  brought 
to  many  others.  She  saw  her  chief  domain,  not  in  its 
coarse  and  common  aspect,  but  as  her  vantage  ground, 
from  which  she  could  minister  to  the  comforts  of  the  one 
who  had  rescued  her.  Few  brides  would  care  to  enter 
the  kitchen  first,  but  she  was  pleased  ;  she  who  had 
scarcely  hoped  to  smile  again  looked  smilingly  around 
on  the  quaint,  homelike  room. 

"And  this  is  to  be  my  home!"  she  murmured. 
"  How  strange,  unexpected,  yet  natural  it  all  is  !  Just 
what  he  led  me  to  expect.     The  little  lonely  farmhouse, 


'204      HE   FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

where  I  can  be  safe  from  staring  eyes  and  unwounded 
by  cruel  questionings.  Yet  that  old  man  had  a  dozen 
questions  on  his  tongue.  I  believe  he  took  him  away  to 
save  my  feelings.  It's  strange  that  so  plain  and  simple 
■a  man  in  most  respects  can  be  so  considerate.  Oh,  pray 
God  that  all  goes  on  as  it  promises  !  I  couldn't  have 
dreamt  it  this  morning,  but  I  have  an  odd,  homelike 
feeling  already.  Well,  since  I  a^n  at  home  I  may  as 
v.ell  take  off  my  hat  and  cloak." 

As  she  did  so,  Holcroft  entered  and  said  heartily, 
'•  That's  right,  Alida  !  You  are  here  to  stay,  you  know. 
You  mustn't  think  it  amiss  that  I  left  you  a  few  moments 
alone,  for  I  had  to  get  that  talkative  old  man  off  home. 
He's  getting  a  little  childish  and  w^ould  fire  questions  at 
you  point-blank." 

"  But  shouldn't  you  have  taken  him  home  in  the 
vvagon  ?     I  don't  mind  being  alone." 

"  Oh,  no !  he's  spry  enough  to  walk  twice  the  distance 
and  often  does.  It's  light  as  day  outside,  and  I  made  it 
right  with  him.  You  can  leave  your  things  upstairs  in 
your  room,  and  I'll  carry  up  your  bundles  also,  if  you  are 
rested  enough  for  the  journey." 

"  Oh,  yes  !  "  she  replied,  "  I'm  feeling  better  already." 

He  led  the  way  to  the  apartment  that  Mrs.  Mumpson 
had  occupied  and  said  regretfully,  "  I'm  sorry  the  room 
looks  so  bare  and  comfortless,  but  that  will  all  be  mended 
in  time.  When  you  come  down,  we'll  have  some  coffee 
and  supper." 

She  soon  reappeared  in  the  kitchen,  and  he  con- 
tinued, "Now  I'll  show  you  that  I'm  not  such  a  very 
helpless  sort  of  man.  after  all ;  so  if  you're  sick  you 
needn't  worry.  I'm  going  to  get  you  a  good  cup  of 
coffee  and  broil  you  a  piece  of  steak." 


AT  HOME.  205 

"  Oh  !  please  let  me "  she  began. 

"  No ;  can't  allow  you  to  do  anything  to-night  but  sit 
in  that  chair.  You  promised  to  mind,  you  know,"  and  he 
smiled  so  genially  that  she  smiled  back  at  him,  although 
tears  came  into  her  eyes. 

"  I  can't  realize  it  all,"  she  said  in  a  low  voice.  "  To 
think  how  this  day  began  and  how  it  is  ending  !  " 

"  It's  ending  in  a  poor  man's  kitchen,  Alida.  It  was 
rather  rough  to  bring  you  in  here  first,  but  the  parlor  is 
cold  and  comfortless." 

"  I  would  rather  be  brought  here.  It  seems  to  me 
that  it  must  be  a  light  and  cheerful  room." 

''Yes,  the  sun  shines  in  these  east  windows,  and 
there's  another  window  facing  the  south,  so  it's  light  all 
day  long." 

She  watched  him  curiously,  and  with  not  a  little  sell- 
reproach,  as  he  deftly  prepared  supper.  "  It's  too  bad 
for  me  to  sit  idle  while  you  do  such  things,  yet  you  do 
everything  so  well  that  I  fear  I  shall  seem  awkward. 
Still,  I  think  I  do  at  least  know  how  to  cook  a  little." 

*'  If  you  knew  what  I've  had  to  put  up  with  for  a  year 
or  more,  you  wouldn't  worry  about  satisfying  me  in 
this  respect.  Except  when  old  Mrs.  Wiggins  was  here, 
I  had  few  decent  meals  that  I  didn't  get  myself,"  and 
then,  to  cheer  her  up,  he  laughingly  told  her  of  Mrs. 
Mumpson's  essay  at  making  coffee.  He  had  a  certain 
dry  humor,  and  his  unwonted  effort  at  mimicry  was  so 
droll  in  itself  that  Alida  was  startled  to  hear  her  own 
voice  in  laughter,  and  she  looked  almost  frightened,  so 
deeply  had  she  been  impressed  that  it  would  never  be 
possible  or  even  right  for  her  to  laugh  again. 

The  farmer  was  secretly  much  pleased  at  his  success. 
If  she  would  laugh,  be  cheerful  and  not  brood,  he  felt  sure 


2o6      HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

she  would  get  well  and  be  more  contented.  The  desper- 
ate view  she  had  taken  of  her  misfortunes  troubled  him, 
and  he  had  thought  it  possible  that  she  might  sink  into 
despondency  and  something  Hke  invalidism  ;  but  that 
involuntary  bubble  of  laughter  reassured  him.  "Quiet, 
wholesome,  cheerful  life  will  restore  her  to  health,"  he 
thought,  as  he  put  his  favorite  beverage  and  the  sputter- 
ing steak  on  the  table.  "  Now,"  he  said,  placing  a  chair 
at  the  table,  "  you  can  pour  me  a  cup  of  coffee." 

"  Tm  glad  I  can  do  something,"  she  answered,  "  for  I 
can't  get  over  the  strangeness  of  being  so  waited  on. 
Indeed,  everything  that  was  unexpected  or  undreamt  of 
has  happened,"  and  there  was  just  the  faintest  bit  of 
color  on  her  cheeks  as  she  sat  down  opposite  him. 

Few  men  are  insensible  to  simple,  natural,  womanly 
grace,  and  poor  Holcroft,  who  so  long  had  been  com- 
pelled to  see  at  his  table  "perfect  terrors,"  as  he  called 
them,  was  agreeably  impressed  by  the  contrast  she  made 
with  the  Mumpson  and  Malony  species.  Alida  uncon- 
sciously had  a  subtle  charm  of  carriage  and  action, 
learned  in  her  long  past  and  happy  girlhood  when  all 
ber  associations  were  good  and  refined.  Still,  in  its 
truest  explanation,  this  grace  is  native  and  not  acquired  ; 
it  is  a  personal  trait.  Incapable  of  nice  analysis  or  fine 
definitions,  he  only  thought,  "  How  much  pleasanter  it  is 
to  see  at  the  table  a  quiet,  sensible  woman  instead  of  a 
*  peculiar  female  ' !  "  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  sup- 
plemented her  remark  by  saying,  "  Perhaps  things  are 
turning  out  for  both  of  us  better  than  we  expected.  I 
had  made  up  my  mind  this  morning  to  live  here  like  a 
hermit,  get  my  own  meals,  and  all  that.  I  actually  had 
the  rough  draught  of  an  auction  bill  in  my  pocket, — yes, 
here  it  is  now, — and  was  going  to  sell  my  cows,  give  up 


AT  ROUTE.  207 

my  dairy,  and  try  to  make  my  living  in  a  way  tliat 
wouldn't  require  any  woman  help.  That's  what  took 
me  up  to  Tom  Watterly's ;  I  wanted  him  to  help  me  put 
the  bill  in  shape.  He  wouldn't  look  at  it,  and  talked  me 
right  out  of  trying  to  live  like  Robinson  Crusoe,  as  he 
expressed  it.  I  had  been  quite  cheerful  over  my  pros- 
pects ;  indeed,  I  was  almost  happy  in  being  alone  again 
after  having  such  terrors  in  the  house.  But,  as  I  said, 
Watterly  talked  all  the  courage  and  hope  right  out  of 
me,  and  made  it  clear  that  I  couldn't  go  it  alone.  You 
see,  Tom  and  I  have  been  friends  since  we  were  boys* 
together,  and  that's  the  reason  he  talks  so  plain 
to   me." 

"  He  has  a  good,  kind  heart,"  said  Alida.  "  I  don't 
think  I  could  have  kept  up  at  all  had  it  not  been  for  his 
kindness," 

"  Yes,  Tom's  a  rough  diamond.  He  don't  make  any 
pretenses,  and  looks  upon  himself  as  a  rather  hard  case, 
but  I  fancy  he's  doing  kind  things  in  his  rough  way  half 
the  time.  Well,  as  we  were  talking,  he  remembered 
you,  and  he  spoke  of  you  so  feelingly  and  told  your  story 
with  so  much  honest  sympathy  that  he  awoke  my  sym- 
pathy. Now  you  know  how  it  has  all  come  about.  You 
see  it's  all  natural  enough  and  simple  enough,  and  prob- 
ably it's  the  best  thing  that  could  have  happened  for  us 
both.  All  you  have  to  do  is  to  get  strong  and  well,  and 
then  it  won't  be  any  one-sided  affair,  as  you've  been  too 
much  inclined  to  think,  I  can  go  on  and  keep  my 
farm  and  home  just  as  my  heart  is  bent  on  doing,  I 
want  you  to  understand  everything,  for  then  your 
mind  will  be  more  satisfied  and  at  rest,  and  that's 
half  the  battle  'in  getting  over  sickness  and  trouble 
like   yours," 


2o8      HE  FELL   LN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  I  can  only  thank  God  and  you  for  the  great  change 
in  my  prospects.  This  quiet  and  escape  from  strangers 
are  just  what  I  most  craved,  and  I  am  already  beginning 
to  hope  that  if  I  can  learn  to  do  all  you  wish,  I  shall  find 
a  content  that  I  never  hoped  for,"  and  the  tears  that 
stood  in  her  eyes  were  witnesses  of  her  sincerity. 

"  Well,  don't  expect  to  learn  everything  at  once.  Let 
me  have  my  way  for  a  while,  and  then  you'll  find,  as  you 
get  strong,  and  the  busy  season  comes  on,  that  I'll  be  so 
taken  up  with  the  farm  that  you'll  have  your  own  way. 
Won't  you  have  some  more  steak  }  No  ?  Well,  you've 
enjoyed  your  supper  a  little,  haven't  you  }  " 

"  Yes,"  she  replied,  smiling,  "  I  actually  felt  hungry 
when  I  sat  down,  and  the  coffee  has  taken  away  the 
tired,  faint  feeling." 

"  I  hope  you'll  soon  be  good  and  hungry  three  times  a 
day,"  he  said,  laughing  pleasantly. 

"  You'll  at  least  let  me  clear  the  table  }  "  she  asked. 
"  I  feel  so  much  better." 

"  Yes,  if  you  are  sure  you're  strong  enough.  It  may 
make  you  feel  more  at  home.  But  drop  everything  till 
to-morow,  when  tired.  I  must  go  out  and  do  my  night 
work,  and  it's  night  work  now,  sure  enough." 

"  It's  too  bad  !  "  she  said  sympathetically. 

"  What !  to  go  out  and  feed  my  stock  this  clear,  bright 
night?  and  after  a  hearty  supper,  too  ?  Such  farming  is 
fun.  I  feel,  too,  as  if  I  wanted  to  go  and  pat  the  cows 
all  around  in  my  gladness  that  I'm  not  going  to  sell 
them.  Now  remember,  let  everything  go  till  morning  as 
soon  as  you  feel  tired." 

She  nodded  smilingly  and  set  to  work.  Standing  in 
the  shadow  of  a  hemlock,  he  watched  her  for  a  few 
moments.     Her  movements  were  slow,  as  would  be  nat- 


AT  HOME.  209 

ural  to  one  who  had  been  so  reduced  by  illness,  but  this 
very  evidence  of  feebleness  touched  his  feelings.  "  She 
is  eager  to  begin — too  eager.  No  nonsense  there  about 
'  menial  tasks.'  Well,  it  does  give  one  hope  to  see  such 
a  woman  as  that  in  the  old  kitchen,"  and  then  the  hungry 
cattle  welcomed  him. 

^The  traveler  feels  safe  after  the  fierce  Arab  of  the 
desert  has  broken  bread  with  him.  It  would  seem  that 
a  deep  principle  of  human  nature  is  involved  in  this  act. 
More  than  the  restoring  power  of  the  nourishment  itself 
was  the  moral  effect  for  Alida  of  that  first  meal  in  her 
husband's  home.  It  was  another  step  in  what  he  had 
said  was  essential — the  forming  of  his  acquaintance. 
She  had  seen  from  the  first  that  he  was  plain  and  unpol- 
ished— that  he  had  not  the  veneer  of  gentility  of  the  man 
she  had  so  mistakenly  married;  yet,  in  his  simple  truth, 
he  was  inspiring  a  respect  which  she  had  never  felt  for 
any  man  before.  "  What  element  of  real  courtesy  has 
been  wanting  ?  "  she  asked  herself.  "  If  this  is  an  earnest 
of  the  future,  thank  God  for  the  real.  I've  found  to  my 
cost  what  a  clever  imitation  of  a  man  means." 

It  was  as  sweet  as  it  was  strange  to  think  that  she,  who 
had  trembled  at  the  necessity  of  becoming  almost  a  slave 
to  unfeeling  strangers,  had  been  compelled  to  rest  while 
a  husband  performed  tasks  naturally  hers.  It  was  all 
very  homely,  yet  the  significance  of  the  act  was  chival- 
rous consideration  for  her  weakness;  the  place,  the 
nature  of  the  ministry  could  not  degrade  the  meaning  oi 
his  action.  Then,  too,  during  the  meal  he  had  spoken 
natural,  kindly  words  which  gave  to  their  breaking  of 
bread  together  the  true  interpretation.  Although  so 
feeble  and  weary,  she  found  a  deep  satisfaction  in  begin- 
ning her  household  work.     "  It  does  make  me  feel  more 


2IO      HE   FELL   IX  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

at  home,"  she  said.  "  Strange  that  he  should  have 
thought  of  it  !  " 

She  had  finislied  her  task  and  sat  down  again  when  he 
entered  with  a  pail  of  milk.  Taking  a  dipper  with  a 
strainer  on  one  side  of  it,  he  poured  out  a  tumblerful. 
"  Now,  take  this,"  he  said.  "  I've  always  h.eard  that 
milk  fresh  from  the  cow  was  very  strengthening.  Then 
^o  and  sleep  till  you  are  thoroughly  rested,  and  don't 
•think  of  coming  down  in  the  morning  till  you  feel  like  it. 
I'll  make  the  fire  and  get  breakfast.  You  have  seen  how 
easily  I  can  do  it.  I  have  several  more  cows  to  milk,  and 
so  will  say  '  Good-night.'  " 

"  Good-night,  and  may  God  always  bless  you  for  your 
kindness  to  me  to-day  !  " 

For  the  first  time  since  chaos  had  come  into  her  life 
Alida  slept  soundly  and  refreshingly,  unpursued  by  the 
fears  which  had  haunted  even  her  dreams.  When  she 
awoke  she  expected  to  see  the  gray  locks  and  repulsive 
features  of  the  woman  who  had  occupied  the  apartment 
with  her  at  the  almshouse,  but  she  was  alone  in  a  small, 
strange  room.  Then  memory  gathered  up  the  threads 
of  the  past;  but  so  strange,  so  blessed  did  the  truth  seem 
that  she  hastened  to  dress  and  go  down  to  the  old  kitchen 
and  assure  herself  that  her  mind  had  not  become  shat- 
tered by  her  troubles  and  was  mocking  her  with  unreal 
fancies.  The  scene  she  looked  upon  would  have  soothed 
and  reassured  her  even  had  her  mind  been  as  disordered 
as  she,  for  the  moment,  had  been  tempted  to  believe. 
There  was  the  same  homely  room  which  had  pictured 
itself  so  deeply  on  her  memory  the  evening  before.  Now 
it  was  more  attractive,  for  the  morning  sun  was  shining 
into  it,  lighting  up  its  homely  details  with  a  wholesome, 
cheerful  reality  which   made  it  difficult  to  believe  that 


AT  HOME.  211 

there  were  tragic  experiences  in  the  world.  The  wood 
fire  in  the  stove  crackled  merrily,  and  the  lid  of  the 
kettle  was  already  bobbing  up  and  down  from  internal 
commotion. 

As  she  opened  the  door  a  burst  of  song  entered,  secur- 
ing her  attention.  Slie  had  heard  the  birds  before  with- 
out recognizing  consciousness,  as  is  so  often  true  of  our 
own  condition  in  regard  to  the  familiar  sounds  of  nature. 
It  was  now  almost  as  if  she  had  received  another  sense, 
so  strong,  sweet,  and  cheering  was  the  symphony. 
Robins,  song-sparrows,  blackbirds,  seemed  to  have 
gathered  in  the  trees  nearby,  to  give  her  a  jubilant 
w^elcome;  but  she  soon  found  that  the  music  shaded  off 
to  distant,  dreamlike  notes,  and  remembered  that  it  was 
a  morning  chorus  of  a  hemisphere.  This  universality  did 
not  render  the  melody  less  personally  grateful.  We  car 
appropriate  all  that  is  lovely  in  Nature,  yet  leave  all  foi 
others.  As  she  stood  listening,  and  inhaling  the  soft  air, 
full  of  the  delicious  perfume  of  the  grass  and  expanding 
buds,  and  looking  through  the  misty  sunshine  on  the 
half-veiled  landscape,  she  heard  Holcroft's  voice,  chiding 
some  unruly  animal  in  the  barnyard. 

This  recalled  her,  and  with  the  elasticity  of  returning 
health  and  hope  she  set  about  getting  breakfast. 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  I  never  heard  birds  sing  before," 
she  thought,  "  and  their  songs  this  morning  are  almost 
like  the  music  of  heaven.  They  seem  as  happy  and 
unconscious  of  fear  and  trouble  as  if  they  were  angels. 
Mother  and  I  used  to  talk  about  the  Garden  of  Eden,  but 
could  the  air  have  been  sweeter,  or  the  sunshine  more 
tempered  to  just  the  right  degree  of  warmth  and  bright- 
ness than  here  about  my  home.^  Oh,  thank  God  again, 
again  and  forever,  for  a  home  like  this  ! "  and  for  a  few 


2  12      HE   FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

moments  something  of  the  ecstasy  of  one  delivered  from 
the  black  thraldom  of  evil  filled  her  soul.  She  paused 
now  and  then  to  listen  to  the  birds,  for  only  their  songs 
seemed  capable  of  expressing  her  emotion.  It  was  but 
another  proof  that  heavenly  thoughts  and  homely  work 
may  go  on  together. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

GETTING   ACQUAINTED. 

It  was  still  early,  and  Holcroft  was  under  the  impres- 
sion that  Alida  would  sleep  late  after  the  severe  fatigues 
of  the  preceding  day.  He  therefore  continued  his  work 
at  the  barn  sufficiently  long  to  give  his  wife  time  for  her 
little  surprise.  She  was  not  long  in  finding  and  laying 
her  hands  on  the  simple  materials  for  breakfast.  A  ham 
hung  in  the  pantry  and  beneath  it  was  a  great  basket  of 
eggs,  while  the  flour  barrel  stood  in  the  corner.  Biscuits 
w^ere  soon  in  the  oven,  eggs  conjured  into  an  omelet,  and 
the  ham  cut  into  delicate  slices,  instead  of  great  coarse 
steaks.  Remembering  Mrs.  Mumpson's  failure  with  the 
coffee,  she  made  it  a  trifle  strong  and  boiled  the  milk  that 
should  temper  without  cooling  it.  The  biscuits  rose  like 
her  own  spirits,  the  omelet  speedily  began  to  take  on 
color  like  her  own  flushed  face  as  she  busied  herself  about 
the  stove. 

Everything  was  nearly  ready  when  she  saw  Holcroft 
coming  toward  the  house  with  two  pails  of  milk.  He 
took  them  to  the  large  dairy  room  under  the  parlor  and 
then  came  briskly  to  the  kitchen.  She  stood,  screened 
by  the  door  as  he  entered,  then  stopped  and  stared  at  the 
table  all  set  and  at  the  inviting  breakfast  on  the  stove. 

See  Alida's  half-smiling,  half-questioning  face,  seeking 


214     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

his  approval,  he  exclaimed,  "  Well,  you  have  stolen  a 
march  on  me!     I  supposed  you  were  asleep  yet." 

"  I  felt  so  much  stronger  and  better  when  I  awoke 
that  I  thought  you  wouldn't  mind  if  I  came  down  and 
made  a  beginning." 

"  You  call  this  a  beginning  do  you  ?  such  a  breakfast 
as  this  before  seven  in  the  morning  ?  I  hope  you  haven't 
overtaxed  yourself." 

"  No,  only  a  little  of  just  the  right  kind  of  tired 
feeling." 

"  Haven't  you  left  anything  for  me  to  do  ?  " 

"  Perhaps.  You  will  know  when  I've  put  all  on  the 
table.     What  I've  prepared  is  ready." 

"  Well,  this  is  famous.  I'll  go  and  wash  and  fix  up 
a  little  and  be  right  down." 

When  Holcroft  returned,  he  looked  at  her  curiously, 
for  he  felt  that  he,  too,  was  getting  acquainted.  Her  thin 
face  was  made  more  youthful  by  color ;  a  pleased  look 
was  in  her  blue  eyes,  and  a  certain  neatness  and  trimness 
about  her  dress  to  which  he  had  not  been  accustomed. 
He  scanned  the  table  wonderingly,  for  things  were  not 
put  upon  it  at  haphazard  ;  the  light  biscuits  turned  their 
brown  cheeks  invitingly  toward  him, — she  had  arranged 
that  they  should  do  that, — the  ham  was  crisp,  not  sod- 
den, and  the  omelet  as  russet  as  a  November  leaf. 
"This  is  a  new  dish,"  he  said,  looking  at  it  closely. 
"  What  do  you  call  it  ?  " 

"  Omelet.  Perhaps  you  won't  like  it,  but  mother  used 
to  be  very  fond  of  it." 

"  No  matter.  We'll  have  it  if  you  like  it  and  it  brings 
you  pleasant  thoughts  of  your  mother."  Then  he  took  a 
good  sip  of  coffee  and  set  the  cup  down  again  as  he  had 
before  under  the  Mumpson  regime,  but  with  a  very  differ- 


GETTIh'G  ACQUAINTED.  215 

ent  expression.  She  looked  anxiously  at  him,  but  was 
quickly  reassured.  "  I  thought  /  knew  how  to  make 
coffee,  but  I  find  I  don't.  I  never  tasted  anything  so 
good  as  that.     How  do  you  make  it  ?  " 

"  Just  as  mother  taught  me." 

"  Well,  well!  and  you  call  this  making  a  beginning  ?  I 
just  wish  I  could  give  Tom  Watterly  a  cup  of  this  coffee. 
It  would  set  his  mind  at  rest.  '  By  jocks  ! '  he  would 
say,  '  isn't  this  better  than  going  it  alone  ? '  " 

She  looked  positively  happy  under  this  sweet  incense 
to  a  housewifely  heart.  She  was  being  paid  in  the  coin 
that  women  love  best,  and  it  was  all  the  more  precious  to 
her  because  she  had  never  expected  to  receive  it  again. 

He  did  like  the  omelet  ;  he  liked  everything,  and,  after 
helping  her  liberally,  cleared  the  table,  then  said  he  felt 
equal  to  doing  two  men's  work.  Before  going  out  to  his 
work,  he  lighted  a  fire  on  the  parlor  hearth  and  left  a 
good  supply  of  fuel  beside  it.  "  Now,  Alida,"  he  re- 
marked humorously,  "  I've  already  found  out  that  you 
have  one  fault  that  you  and  I  will  have  to  watch  against. 
You  are  too  willing.  I  fear  you've  gone  beyond  your 
strength  this  morning.  I  don't  want  you  to  do  a  thing 
to-day  except  to  get  the  meals,  and  remember,  I  can 
help  in  this  if  you  don't  feel  well.  There  is  a  fire  in  the 
parlor,  and  I've  wheeled  the  lounge  up  by  it.  Take  it 
quietly  to-day,  and  perhaps  to-morrow  I  can  begin  to 
show  you  about  butter-making." 

"  I  will  do  as  you  wish,"  she  replied,  "  but  please  show 
me  a  little  more  where  things  are  before  you  go  out." 

This  he  did  and  added,  "  You'll  find  the  beef  and  some 
other  things  on  a  swing-shelf  in  the  cellar.  The  potato 
bins  are  down  there,  too.  But  don't  try  to  get  up  much 
dinner.     What  comes  quickest  and  easiest  will  suit  me. 


2i6      HE   FELL   LN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

I'm  a  little  backward  with  my^  work  and  must  plow  all 
day  for  oats.  It's  time  they  were  in.  After  such  a 
breakfast,  I  feel  as  if  I  had  eaten  a  bushel  myself." 

A  few  moments  later  she  saw  him  going  up  the  lane, 
that  continued  on  past  the  house,  with  his  stout  team  and 
the  plow,  and  she  smiled  as  she  heard  him  whistling 
"  Coronation  "  with  levity,  as  some  good  people  would 
have  thought. 

Plowing  and  planting  time  had  come  and  under  hap- 
pier auspices,  apparently,  than  he  had  ever  imagined  pos- 
sible again.  With  the  lines  about  his  neck,  he  began 
with  a  sidehill  plow  at  the  bottom  of  a  large,  sloping 
field  which  had  been  in  corn  the  previous  year,  and  the 
long,  straight  furrows  increased  from  a  narrow  strip  to  a 
wide,  oblong  area.  "Ah,"  said  he  in  tones  of  strong 
satisfaction,  "  the  ground  crumbles  freely  ;  it's  just  in  the 
right  condition.  I'll  quit  plowing  this  afternoon  in  time 
to  harrow  and  sow  all  the  ground  that's  ready.  Then,  so 
much  '11  be  all  done  and  well  done.  It's  curious  how 
seed,  if  it  goes  into  the  ground  at  the  right  time  and  in 
the  right  way,  comes  right  along  and  never  gets  dis- 
couraged. I  aint  much  on  scientific  farming,  but  I've 
always  observed  that  when  I  sow  or  plant  as  soon  as  the 
ground  is  ready,  I  have  better  luck." 

The  horses  seemed  infected  by  his  own  brisk  spirit, 
stepping  along  without  urging,  and  the  farmer  wasswe])t 
speedily  into  the  full,  strong  current  of  his  habitual  in- 
terests. 

One  might  have  supposed  the  recent  events  would 
have  the  uppermost  place  in  his  thoughts,  but  this  was 
not  true.  He  rather  dwelt  upon  them  as  the  unexpect- 
edly fortunate  means  to  the  end  now  attained.  This  was 
his  life,  and  he  was  happy  in  the  thought  that  his  mar- 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED.  217 

riage  promised  to  make  this  life  not  merely  possible,  but 
prosperous  and  full  of  quiet  content. 

The  calling  of  the  born  agriculturist,  like  that  of  the 
fisherman,  has  in  it  the  element  of  chance  and  is  there- 
fore full  of  moderate  yet  lasting  excitement.  Holcroft 
knew  that,  although  he  did  his  best,  much  would  depend 
on  the  weather  and  other  causes.  He  had  met  with  dis- 
appointments in  his  crops,  and  had  also  achieved  what 
he  regarded  as  fine  successes,  although  they  would  have 
seemed  meager  on  a  Western  prairie.  Every  spring 
kindled  anew  his  hopefulness  and  anticipation.  He 
watched  the  weather  with  the  interested  and  careful 
scrutiny  of  a  sailor,  and  it  must  be  admitted  that  his 
labor  and  its  results  depended  more  on  natural  causes 
than  upon  his  skill  and  the  careful  use  of  the  fertilizers. 
He  was  a  farmer  of  the  old  school,  the  traditions  re- 
ceived from  his  father  controlled  him  in  the  main.  Still, 
his  good  common  sense  and  long  experience  stood  him 
fairly  well  in  the  place  of  science  and  knowledge  of  im- 
proved methods,  and  he  was  better  equipped  than  the 
man  who  has  in  his  brain  all  that  the  books  can  teach, 
yet  is  without  experience.  Best  of  all,  he  had  inherited 
and  acquired  an  abiding  love  of  the  soil ;  he  never  could 
have  been  content  except  in  its  cultivation  ;  he  was  there- 
fore in  the  right  condition  to  assimilate  fuller  knowledge 
and  make  the  most  of  it. 

He  knew  well  enough  when  it  was  about  noon.  From 
long  habit  he  would  have  known  had  the  sky  been  over- 
cast, but  now  his  glance  at  the  sun  was  like  looking  at  a 
watch.  Dusty  and  begrimed  he  followed  his  team  to  the 
barn,  slipped  from  them  their  headstalls  and  left  them  to 
amuse  themselves  with  a  little  hay  while  they  cooled 
sufficiently   for  heartier  food.     "  Well  now,"  he  mused, 


2i8     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  I  wonder  what  that  httle  woman  has  for  dinner  ? 
Another  new  dish, like  enough.  Hanged  if  I'm  fit  to  go 
in  the  house,  and  she  looking  so  trim  and  neat.  1  think 
I'll  first  take  a  souse  in  the  brook,"  and  he  went  up 
behind  the  house  where  an  unfailing  stream  gurgled 
swiftly  down  from  the  hills.  At  the  nearest  point  a 
small  basin  had  been  hollowed  out,  and  as  he  approached 
he  saw  two  or  three  speckled  trout  darting  away  through 
the  limpid  water. 

"  Aha  !  "  he  muttered,  "  glad  you  reminded  me.  When 
she's  stronger,  she  may  enjoy  catching  our  supper  some 
afternoon.  I  must  think  of  all  the  little  things  I  can  to 
liven  her  up,  so  she  won't  get  dull.  It's  curious  how 
interested  I  am  to  know  how  she's  got  along  and  what 
she  has  for  dinner.  And  to  think  that,  less  than  a  week 
ago,  I  used  to  hate  to  go  near  the  house  !  " 

As  he  entered  the  hall  on  his  way  to  his  room,  that  he 
might  make  himself  more  presentable,  an  appetizing  odor 
greeted  him  and  Alida  smiled  from  the  kitchen  door  as 
she  said,  "  Dinner's  ready." 

Apparently  she  had  taken  him  at  his  word,  as  she  had 
prepared  little  else  than  an  Irish  stew,  yet  when  he  had 
partaken  of  it,  he  thought  he  would  prefer  Irish  stew's 
from  that  time  onward  indefinitely.  "  Where  did  you 
learn  to  cook,  Alida.'*"  he  asked. 

"  Mother  wasn't  very  strong  and  her  appetite  often 
failed  her.  Then,  too,  we  hadn't  much  to  spend  on  our 
table,  so  we  tried  to  make  simple  things  taste  nice. 
Do  you  like  my  way  of  preparing  that  old-fashioned 
dish  }  " 

"  I'm  going  to  show  you  how  I  like  it,"  he  replied,  nod- 
ding approvingly.  "  Well,  what  have  you  been  doing 
besides  tempting  me  to  eat  too  much  }  " 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED.  219 

"What  you  said,  resting.  You  told  me  not  to  get  up 
much  of  a  dinner,  so  I  very  lazily  prepared  what  you  see. 
I've  been  lying  on  the  lounge  most  of  the  morning." 

"  Famous  ;  and  you  feel  better  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  think  I  shall  soon  get  well  and  strong,"  she 
replied,  looking  at  him  gratefully. 

"  Well,  well !  my  luck's  turned  at  last.  I  once  thought 
it  never  would,  but  if  this  goes  on — well,  you  can't  know 
what  a  change  it  is  for  the  better.  I  can  now  put  my 
mind  on  my  work." 

"  You've  been  plowing  all  the  morning,  haven't  you  }  " 
she  ventured,  and  there  was  the  pleased  look  in  her  eyes 
that  he  already  liked  to  see. 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  "  and  I  must  keep  at  it  several  days 
to  get  in  all  the  oats  I  mean  to  sow.  If  this  weather  holds 
I  shall  be  through  next  week." 

"  I  looked  in  the  milk-room  a  while  ago.  Isn't  there 
anything  I  could  do  there  this  afternoon  ?  " 

"  No.  I'll  attend  to  everything  there.  It's  too  damp 
for  you  yet.  Keep  on  resting.  Why,  bless  me  !  I  didn't 
think  you'd  be  well  enough  to  do  anything  for  a  week." 

"  Indeed,"  she  admitted,  "  I'm  surprised  at  myself. 
It  seems  as  if  a  crushing  weight  had  been  lifted  off  my 
mind  and  that  I  was  coming  right  up.  I'm  so  glad,  for  I 
feared  I  might  be  feeble  and  useless  a  long  time." 

"  Well,  Alida,  if  you  had  been,  or  if  you  ever  are,  don't 
think  I'll  be  impatient.  The  people  I  can't  stand  are 
those  who  try  to  take  advantage  of  me,  and  I  tell  you  I've 
had  to  contend  with  that  disposition  so  long  that  I  feel 
as  if  I  could  do  almost  anything  for  one  who  is  simply 
honest  and  tries  to  keep  her  part  of  an  agreement.  But 
this  won't  do.  I've  enjoyed  my  own  dinner  so  much 
that    I've    half    forgotten    that    the    horses  haven't  had 


2  20     HE  FELL   LiV  LOVE    WLTH  HLS    IVLFE. 

theirs  yet.  Now  will  you  scold  if  I  light  my  pipe 
before  I  go  out  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no  !  I  don't  mind  that." 

"  No  good-natured  fibs  !      Isn't  smoke  disagreeable  ?  " 

She  shook  her  head.  "  I  don't  mind  it  at  all,"  she 
said,  but  her  sudden  paleness  puzzled  him.  He  could 
not  know  that  he  had  involuntarily  recalled  the  many 
times  that  she  had  filled  the  evening  pipe  for  a  man  who 
now  haunted  her  memory  like  a  specter. 

"  I  guess  you  don't  like  it  very  much,"  he  said,  as  he 
passed  out.  "  Well,  no  matter !  It's  getting  so  mild  that 
I  can  smoke  out  of  doors." 

With  the  exception  of  the  episode  of  dinner  the  day 
was  chiefly  passed  by  Alida  in  a  health-restoring  languor, 
the  natural  reaction  from  the  distress  and  strong  excite- 
ments of  the  past.  The  rest  that  had  been  enjoined 
upon  her  was  a  blessed  privilege,  and  still  more  happy 
was  the  truth  that  she  could  rest.  Reclining  on  the  lounge 
in  the  parlor,  with  a  wood  fire  on  one  side  and  the  April 
sun  on  the  other,  both  creating  warmth  and  good  cheer, 
she  felt  like  those  who  have  just  escaped  from  a  wreck 
and  engulfing  waves.  Her  mind  was  too  weary  to  ques- 
tion either  the  past  or  the  future,  and  sometimes  a 
consciousness  of  safety  is  happiness  in  itself.  In  the 
afternoon,  the  crackling  of  the  fire  and  the  calling  and 
singing  of  the  birds  without  formed  a  soothing  lullaby 
and  she  fell  asleep. 

At  last,  in  a  dream,  she  heard  exquisite  music  which 
appeared  to  grow  so  loud,  strong,  and  triumphant  that 
she  started  up  and  looked  around  bewildered.  A 
moment  later,  she  saw  that  a  robin  was  singing  in  a  lilac 
bush  by  the  window  and  that  near  the  bird  was  a  nest 
partially  constructed.      She  recalled  her  hopeless  grief 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED.  221 

when  she  had  last  seen  the  building  of  one  of  their  little 
homes  ;  and  she  fell  upon  her  knees  with  a  gratitude  too 
deep  for  words,  and  far  more  grateful  to  Heaven  than 
words. 

Stepping  out  on  the  porch,  she  saw  by  the  shadows 
that  the  sun  was  low  in  the  west  and  that  Holcroft  was 
coming  down  the  lane  w^ith  his  horses.  He  nodded 
pleasantly  as  he  passed  on  to  the  barn.  Her  eyes  fol- 
lowed him  lingeringly  till  he  disappeared,  and  then  they 
ranged  over  the  wide  valley  and  the  wooded  hills  in  the 
distance.  Not  a  breath  of  air  was  stirring  ;  the  lowing 
of  cattle  and  other  rural  sounds,  softened  by  distance, 
came  from  other  farmhouses  ;  the  birds  were  at  vespers^ 
and  their  songs,  to  her  fancy,  were  imbued  with  a  softer^ 
sweeter  melody  than  in  the  morning.  From  the  adjacent 
fields  came  clear,  mellow  notes  that  made  her  nerves 
tingle,  so  ethereal  yet  penetrating  were  they.  She  was 
sure  she  had  never  heard  such  bird  music  before.  When 
Holcroft  came  in  to  supper  she  asked,  "  What  birds  are 
those  that  sing  in  the  field  ?  " 

"  Meadow  larks.     Do  you  like  them  ?  " 

"  I  never  heard  a  hymn  sung  that  did   me  more  good." 

"Well,  I  own  up,  I'd  rather  hear  'em  than  much 
of  the  singing  we  used  to  have  down  at  the  meeting- 
house." 

'*  It  seems  to  me,"  she  remarked,  as  she  sat  down  at 
the  table,  "  that  I've  never  heard  birds  sing  as  they  have 
to-day," 

"  Now  I  think  of  it,  they  have  been  tuning  up  wonder- 
fully. Perhaps  they've  an  idea  of  my  good  luck,"  he 
added  smilingly. 

"  I  had  thought  of  that  about  myself,"  she  ventured. 
"  I  took  a  nap  this  afternoon,  and  a  robin  sang  so  near 


2  22      HE   FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

the  window  that  he  woke  me  up.  It  was  a  pleasant  way 
to  be  waked." 

"  Took  a  nap,  did  you  ?  That's  famous  !  Well,  well ! 
this  day's  gone  just  to  suit  me,  and  I  haven't  had  many 
such  in  a  good  while,  I  can  tell  you.  I've  got  in  a  big 
strip  of  oats,  and  now,  when  I  come  in  tired,  here's 
a  good  supper.  I  certainly  shall  have  to  be  on  the  watch 
to  do  Tom  Watterly  good  turns  for  talking  me  into  this 
business.  That  taking  a  nap  was  a  first-rate  idea.  You 
■ought  to  keep  it  up  for  a  month." 

"  No,  indeed  !  There's  no  reason  why  you  should  work 
hard  and  I  be  idle.  I've  rested  to-day,  as  you  wished,  and 
I  feel  better  than  I  ever  expected  to  again  ;  but  to-morrow 
I  must  begin  in  earnest.  What  use  is  there  of  your  keep-- 
ing  your  cows,  if  good  butter  is  not  made  .'*  Then  I  must 
be  busy  with  my  needle." 

"  Yes,  that's  true  enough.  See  how  thoughtless  I  am  ! 
I  forgot  you  hadn't  any  clothes  to  speak  of,  I  ought  to 
take  you  to  town  to  a  dressmaker." 

"  I  think  you  had  better  get  your  oats  in,"  she  replied, 
smiling  shyl3\  *'  Besides,  I  have  a  dressmaker  that  just 
suits  me — one  that's  made  my  dresses  a  good  many 
years." 

"  If  she  don't  suit  you,  you're  hard  to  be  suited,"  said 
he,  laughing.  "Well,  some  day,  after  you  are  fixed  up,  I 
shall  have  to  let  you  know  how  dilapidated  I  am." 

•"  Won't  you  do  me  a  little  favor  }  " 

""  Oh,  yes  !  a  dozen  of  'em,  big  or  little." 

*'  Please  bring  down  this  evening  something  that  needs 
mending.     I  am  so  much  better " 

"No,  no!  I  wasn't  hinting  for  you  to  do  anything 
to-night." 

"  But  you've  promised  me,"  she  urged.     "  Remember, 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED.  223 

I've  been  resting  nearly  all  clay.  I'm  used  to  sewing,  and 
earned  my  living  at  it.  Somehow,  it  don't  seem  natural 
for  me  to  sit  with  idle  hands." 

"  If  I  hadn't  promised " 

"  But  you  have." 

"  I  suppose  I'm  fairly  caught,"  and  he  brought  down  a 
little  of  the  most  pressing  of  the  mending. 

"  Now  I'll  reward  you,"  she  said,  handing  him  his  pipe, 
well  filled.  "  You  go  in  the  parlor  and  have  a  quiet 
sfrioke.     I  won't  be  long  in  clearing  up  the  kitchen." 

"  What  !  smoke  in  the  parlor  }  " 

"  Yes,  why  not .''     I  assure  you  I  don't  mind  it." 

"  Ha  !  ha  !  Why  didn't  I  think  of  it  before  }  I  might 
have  kept  the  parlor  and  smoked  Mrs.  Mumpson  out." 

"  It  won't  be  smoke  that  will  keep  me  out." 

"  I  should  hope  not,  or  anything  else.  I  myst  tell  you 
how  I  did  have  to  smoke  Mrs.  Mumpson  out  at  last,"  and 
he  did  so  with  so  much  drollery  that  she  again  yielded  to 
irrepressible  laughter. 

"  Poor  thing  !  I'm  sorry  for  her,"  she  said. 

"  I'm  sorry  for  Jane — poor  little  stray  cat  of  a  child  !  I 
hope  we  can  do  something  for  her  some  day,"  and  having 
lighted  his  pipe,  he  took  up  the  county  paper,  left  weekly 
in  a  hollow  tree  by  the  stage  driver,  and  went  into  the 
parlor. 

After  freshening  up  the  fire  he  sat  down  to  read,  but 
by  the  time  she  joined  him  the  tired  man  was  nodding. 
He  tried  to  brighten  up,  but  his  eyes  were  heavy. 

"  You've  worked  hard  to-day,"  she  said  sym- 
pathetically. 

"  Well,  I  have,"  he  answered.  "  I've  not  done  such  a 
good  day's  work  in  a  year." 

"  Then  why  don't  you  go  to  sleep  at  once  .'*  " 


2  24     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  It  don't  seem  polite " 

"  Please  don't  talk  that  way,"  she  interrupted.  "  I  don't 
mind  being  alone  at  all.  I  shall  feel  a  great  deal  more 
at  home  if  you  forget  all  about  ceremony." 

"  Well,  Alida,  I  guess  we  had  both  better  begin  on  that 
basis.  If  I  give  up  when  I'm  tired,  you  must.  You 
mustn't  think  I'm  always  such  a  sleepyhead.  The  fact  is 
I've  been  more  tired  out  with  worry  of  late  than  with 
work.  I  can  laugh  about  it  now,  but  I've  been  so  des- 
perate over  it  that  I've  felt  more  like  swearing.  You'll 
find  out  I've  become  a  good  deal  of  a  heathen." 

"  Very  well ;  I'll  wait  till  I  find  out." 

"  I  think  we  are  getting  acquainted  famously,  don't 
you  ?  " 

"Yes," she  nodded,  with  a  smile  that  meant  more  than 
a  long  speech.     "  Good-night." 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

BETWEEN   THE   PAST   AND    FUTURE. 

Human  nature,  in  common  with  Mother  Nature,  has 
its  immutable  laws.  The  people  who  existed  before  the 
flood  were,  in  their  primal  motives,  like  those  of  to-day. 
The  conventionality  of  highly  civilized  society  does  not 
change  the  heart,  but  it  puts  so  much  restraint  upon  it 
that  not  a  few  appear  heartless.  They  march  through 
life  and  fight  its  battles  like  uniformed  men,  trained  in  a 
certain  school  of  tactics.  This  monotony  of  character  and 
action  is  superficial,  in  most  cases,  rather  than  real,  and  he 
who  fathoms  the  eyes  of  others,  who  catches  the  subtle 
quality  of  tones  and  interprets  the  flexible  mouth  that 
utters  them,  will  discover  that  the  whole  gamut  of  human 
nature  exists  in  those  that  appear  only  like  certain 
musical  instruments,  made  by  machinery  to  play  a  few 
well-known  tunes.  Conventional  restraint  often,  no 
doubt,  produces  dwarfed  and  defective  human  nature. 
I  suppose  that  if  souls  could  be  put  under  a  microscope, 
the  undeveloped  rudiments  of  almost  everything  would  be 
discovered.  It  is  more  satisfactory  to  study  the  things 
themselves  than  their  suggestions ;  this  we  are  usually 
better  able  to  do  among  people  of  simple  and  untram- 
meled  modes  of  life,  who  are  not  practiced  in  disguises. 
Their  peculiar  traits  and  their  general  and  dominant  laws 
and  impulses  are  exhibited  with   less   reserve  than  by 


226      HE  FELL   LX  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

those  who  have  learned  to  be  always  on  their  guard. 
Of  course  there  are  commonplace  yeomen  as  truly  as 
commonplace  aristocrats,  and  simple  life  abounds  in 
simpletons. 

When  a  man  in  Holcroft's  position  has  decided  traits, 
they  are  apt  to  have  a  somewhat  full  expression  ;  his 
rugged  nature  beside  a  tamer  one  outlines  itself  more 
vividly,  just  as  a  mountain  peak  is  silhouetted  against  the 
horizon  better  than  a  rounded  hill.  It  probably  has  been 
observed  that  his  character  possessed  much  simphcity  and 
directness.  He  had  neither  the  force  nor  the  ambition 
to  raise  him  above  his  circumstances ;  he  was  merely 
decided  within  the  lines  of  his  environment.  Perhaps  the 
current  of  his  life  w^as  all  the  stronger  for  being  narrow. 
His  motives  were  neither  complex  nor  vacillating.  He 
had  married  to  keep  his  home  and  to  continue  in  the 
conditions  of  life  dear  from  association  and  the  strongest 
preference,  and  his  heart  overflowed  with  good  will  and 
kindness  toward  Alida  because  she  promised  to  solve  the 
hard  problem  of  the  future  satisfactorily.  Apart  from 
the  sympathy  which  her  misfortune  had  evoked,  he 
probably  could  have  felt  much  the  same  toward  any  other 
good,  sensible  woman,  had  she  rendered  him  a  similar 
service.  It  is  true,  now  that  Alida  was  in  his  home,  that 
slie  w'as  manifesting  agreeable  traits  which  gave  him 
pleasant  little  surprises.  He  had  not  expected  that  he 
would  have  had  half  so  much  to  say  to  her,  yet  felt  it  his 
duty  to  be  sociable  in  order  to  cheer  up  and  mark  the 
line  between  even  a  business  marriage  and  the  employ- 
ment of  a  domestic.  Both  his  interest  and  his  duty 
required  that  he  should  establish  the  bonds  of  strong 
friendly  regard  on  the  basis  of  perfect  equality,  and  he 
would  have  made  efforts,  similar  to  those  he  put  forth,  in 


BETWEEN    THE   PAST  AND   FUTURE.      227 

behalf  of  any  woman,  if  she  had  consented  to  marry  him 
with  AHda's  understanding.  Now,  however,  that  his 
suddenly  adopted  project  of  securing  a  housekeeper  and 
helper  had  been  consammated,  he  would  find  that  he  was 
not  dealing  with  a  business  partner  in  the  abstract,  but  a 
definite  woman,  who  had  already  begun  to  exert  over  him 
her  natural  influence.  He  had  expected  more  or  less 
constraint  and  that  some  time  must  elapse  before  his  wife 
would  cease  to  be  in  a  sense  company  whom  he,  with 
conscious  and  deliberate  effort,  must  entertain.  On  the 
contrary  she  entertained  and  interested  him,  although 
she  said  so  little,  and  by  some  subtle  power  she  unloosed 
his  tongue  and  made  it  easy  for  him  to  talk  to  her.  In 
the  most  quiet  and  unobtrusive  way,  she  was  not  only 
making  herself  at  home,  but  him  also ;  she  was  very 
subservient  to  his  wishes,  but  not  servilely  so  ;  she  did 
not  assert,  but  only  revealed  her  superiority,  and  after 
even  so  brief  an  acquaintance  he  was  ready  to  indorse 
Tom  Watterly's  view,  "  She's  out  of  the  common  run." 

While  all  this  was  true,  the  farmer's  heart  was  as 
untouched  as  that  of  a  child  who  simply  and  instinctively 
likes  a  person.  He  was  still  quietly  and  unhesitatingly 
loyal  to  his  former  wife.  Apart  from  his  involuntary 
favor,  his  shrewd,  practical  reason  was  definite  enough  in 
its  grounds  of  approval.  Reason  assured  him  that  she 
promised  to  do  and  to  be  just  what  he  had  married  her 
for,  but  this  might  have  been  true  of  a  capable,  yet  dis- 
agreeable woman  whom  he  could  not  like,  to  save 
himself. 

Both  in  regard  to  himself  and  Alida,  Holcroft  accepted 
the  actual  facts  with  the  gladness  and  much  of  the 
unquestioning  simplicity  of  a  child.  This  rather  risky 
experiment  was  turning  out  well,  and  for  a  time  he  daily 


2  2«      HE  FELL   L.V  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

became  more  and  more  absorbed  in  his  farm  and  its 
interests.  Alida  quietly  performed  lier  household  tasks 
and  proved  that  she  would  not  need  very  much  instruction 
to  become  a  good  butter-maker.  The  short  spring  of  the 
North  required  that  he  should  be  busy  early  and  late  to 
keep  pace  with  the  quickly  passing  seedtime.  His 
hopefulness,  his  freedom  from  household  worries, 
prompted  him  to  sow  and  plant  increased  areas  of  land. 
In  brief,  he  entered  on  just  the  businesslike  honeymoon 
he  had  hoped  for. 

Alida  was  more  than  content  with  the  conditions  of  her 
life.  She  saw  that  Holcroft  was  hot  only  satisfied,  but 
also  pleased  with  her,  and  that  was  all  she  had  expected 
and  indeed  all  that  thus  far  she  had  wished  or  hoped. 
She  had  many  sad  hours  ;  wounds  like  hers  cannot  heal 
readily  in  a  true,  sensitive  woman's  heart.  While  she 
gained  in  cheerfulness  and  confidence,  the  terrible  and 
unexpected  disaster  which  had  overtaken  her  rendered 
impossible  the  serenity  of  those  with  w^hom  all  has  gone 
well.  Dread  of  something,  she  knew  not  what,  haunted 
her  painfully,  and  memory  at  times  seemed  malig- 
nantly perverse  in  recalling  one  whom  she  prayed  to 
forget. 

Next  to  her  faith  and  Holcroft's  kindness  her  work  was 
her  best  solace,  and  she  thanked  God  for  the  strength  to 
keep  busy. 

On  the  first  Sunday  morning  after  their  marriage  the 
farmer  overslept,  and  breakfast  had  been  ready  some  time 
when  he  came  down.  He  looked  with  a  little  dismay  at 
the  clock  over  the  kitchen  mantel  and  asked,  "  Aren't 
you  going  to  scold  a  little  ?  " 

She  shook  her  head,  nor  did  she  look  the  chiding  which 
often  might  as  well  be  spoken. 


BETWEEN    THE  PAST  AND  FUTURE.      229 

*'  How  long  have  I  kept  breakfast  waiting,  or  you 
rather  ? " 

"  What  difference  does  it  make  ?  You  needed  the  rest. 
The  breakfast  may  not  be  so  nice,"  was  her  smiling 
answer. 

"  No  matter.  You  are  nice  to  let  a  man  off  in  that 
way."  Observing  the  book  in  her  lap,  he  continued,  "  So 
you  were  reading  the  old  family  Bible  to  learn  lessons  of 
patience  and  forbearance  }  " 

Again  she  shook  her  head.  She  often  oddly  reminded 
him  of  Jane  in  her  employment  of  signs  instead  of  speech, 
but  in  her  case  there  was  a  grace,  a  suggestiveness,  and 
even  a  piquancy  about  them  which  made  them  like  a  new 
language.  He  understood  and  interpreted  her  frankly. 
"  I  know,  Alida,"  he  said  kindly ;  "  you  are  a  good 
woman.     You  believe  in  the  Bible  and  love  to  read  it." 

"  I  was  taught  to  read  and  love  it,"  she  replied  simply. 
Then  her  eyes  dropped  and  she  faltered,  "  I've  reproached 
myself  bitterly  that  I  rushed  away  so  hastily  that  I  forgot 
the  Bible  my  mother  gave  me." 

"  No,  no,"  he  said  heartily,  "  don't  reproach  yourself 
for  that.  It  was  the  Bible  in  your  heart  that  made  you 
act  as  you  did." 

She  shot  him  a  swift,  grateful  glance  through  her  tears, 
but  made  no  other  response. 

Having  returned  the  Bible  to  the  parlor,  she  put  the 
breakfast  on  the  table  and  said  quietly,  "  It  looks  as^if 
we  would  have  a  rainy  day." 

"  Well,"  said  he,  laughing,  "  I'm  as  bad  as  the  old 
woman — it  seems  that  women  can  run  farms  alone  if  men 
can't.  Well,  this  old  dame  had  a  big  farm  and  employed 
several  men,  and  she  was  always  wishing  it  would  rain 
nights  and  Sundays.     I'm  inclined  to  chuckle  over  the 


230      HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

good  this  rain  will  do  my  oats,  instead  of  being  sorry  to 
think  how  many  sinners  it'll  keep  from  church.  Except 
in  protracted-meeting  times,  most  people  of  this  town 
would  a  great  deal  rather  risk  their  souls  than  be  caught 
in  the  rain  on  Sunday.  We  don't  mind  it  much  week 
days,  but  Sunday  rain  is  very  dangerous  to  health." 

"  I'm  afraid  I'm  as  bad  as  the  rest,"  she  said,  smiling. 
"  Mother  and  I  usually  stayed  home  when  it  rained 
hard." 

"  Oh,  we  don't  need  a  hard  storm  in  the  country. 
People  say,  *  It  looks  threatening,'  and  that  settles  it ;  but 
we  often  drive  to  town  rainy  days  to  save  time." 

"  Do  you  usually  go  to  church  at  the  meeting  house  I 
see  off  in  the  valley  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  don't  go  anyw^here,"  and  he  watched  keenly  to  see 
how  she  would  take  this  blunt  statement  of  his  practical 
heathenism. 

She  only  looked  at  him  kindly  and  accepted  the  fact. 

"  Why  don't  you  pitch  into  me  }  "  he  asked. 

"  That  wouldn't  do  any  good." 

"  You'd  like  to  go,  I  suppose  .''  " 

"  No,  not  under  the  circumstances,  unless  you  wished 
to.     I'm  cowardly  enough  to  dread  being  stared  at." 

He  gave  a  deep  sigh  of  relief.  "  This  thing  has  been 
troubling  me,"  he  said.  "  I  feared  you  would  want  to  go, 
and  if  you  did,  I  should  feel  that  you  ought  to  go." 

"  I  fear  I'm  very  weak  about  it,  but  I  shrink  so  from 
meeting  strangers.  I  do  thank  God  for  his  goodness 
many  times  a  day  and  ask  for  help.  I'm  not  brave 
enough  to  do  any  more,  yet." 

His  rugged  features  became  very  somber  as  he  said,  "  I 
wish  I  had  as  much  courage  as  you  have." 

"You  don't  understand  me "  she  began  gently. 


BETWEEN   THE  PAST  AND  FUTURE.      231 

"  No,  I  suppose  not.  It's  all  become  a  muddle  to  me. 
I  mean  this  church  and  religious  business." 

She  looked  at  him  wistfully,  as  if  she  wished  to  say 
something-,  but  did  not  venture  to  do  so.  He  promptly 
gave  a  different  turn  to  the  conversation  by  quoting  Mrs. 
Mumpson's  tirade  on  churchgoing  the  first  Sunday  after 
her  arrival.  Alida  laughed,  but  not  in  a  wholly  mirthful 
and  satisfied  way.  "  There  !  "  he  concluded,  "  I'm  touch- 
ing on  things  a  little  too  sacred  for  you.  I  respect  your 
feelings  and  beliefs,  for  they  are  honest  and  I  wish  I 
shared  in  'em."  Then  he  suddenly  laughed  again  as  he 
added,  "  Mrs.  Mumpson  said  there  was  too  much  milking 
done  on  Sunday,  and  it's  time  I  was  breaking  the  Fourth 
Commandment,  after  her  notion." 

Alida  now  laughed  outright,  without  reservation. 

"  '  By  jocks  ! '  as  Watterly  says,  what  a  difference  there 
is  in  women  !  "  he  soliloquized  on  his  way  to  the  barn. 
*'  Well,  the  church  question  is  settled  for  the  present,  but 
if  Alida  should  ask  me  to  go,  after  her  manner  this  morn- 
ing, I'd  face  the  whole  creation  with  her." 

When  at  last  he  came  in  and  threw  off  his  waterproof 
•coat,  the  kitchen  was  in  order  and  his  wife  was  sitting  by 
the  parlor  fire  with  Thomson's  "  Land  and  the  Book  "  in 
her  hand. 

"  Are  you  fond  of  reading.^  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  very." 

"  Well,  I  am,  too,  sort  of ;  but  I've  let  the  years  slip  by 
"Without  doing  half  as  much  as  I  ought." 

"  Light  your  pipe  and  I'll  read  to  you,  if  you  wish  me 
to." 

"  Oh,  come,  now  I  I  at  least  believe  in  Sunday  as  a 
day  of  rest,  and  you  need  it.  Reading  aloud  is  about  as 
hard  work  as  I  can  do." 


232      HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"But  I'm  used  to  it.  I  read  aloud  to  mother  a  great 
deal,"  and  then  there  passed  over  her  face  an  expression 
of  deep  pain. 

"  What  is  it,  Alida  ?     Don't  you  feel  well  ?  " 

"  Yes,  oh,  yes  !  "  she  replied  hastily,  and  her  pale  face 
became  crimson. 

It  was  another  stab  of  memory  recalling  the  many 
Sundays  she  had  read  to  the  man  who  had  deceived  her, 
"  Shall  I  read  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Alida,"  he  said  very  kindly,  "  it  wasn't  the  thought  of 
your  mother  that  brought  that  look  of  pain  into  your  face." 

She  shook  her  head  sadly,  with  downcast  eyes.  After 
a  moment  or  two,  she  raised  them  appealingly  to  him  as 
she  said  simply,  "  There  is  so  much  that  I  wish  I  could 
forget." 

"  Poor  child  !  Yes,  I  think  I  know.  Be  patient  with 
yourself,  and  reuaember  that  you  were  never  to  blame." 

Again  came  that  quick,  grateful  glance  by  which  some 
women  express  more  than  others  can  ever  put  in  words. 
Her  thought  was,  "  I  didn't  think  that  even  he  was  capa- 
ble of  that.  What  a  way  of  assuring  me  that  he'll  be 
patient  with  me  !  "  Then  she  quietly  read  for  an  hour 
descriptions  of  the  Holy  Land  that  were  not  too  religious 
for  Holcroft's  mind  and  which  satisfied  her  conscience 
better  than  much  she  had  read  in  former  days  to  satisfy 
a  taste  more  alien  to  hers  than  that  of  her  husband. 

Holcroft  listened  to  her  correct  pronunciation  and 
sweet,  natural  tones  with  a  sort  of  pleased  wonder.  At 
last  he  said,  "You  must  stop  now." 

"  Are  you  tired  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  No,  but  you  are,  or  ought  to  be.  Why,  Alida,  I 
didn't  know  you  were  so  well  educated.  I'm  quite  a 
barbarous  old  fellow  compared  with  you." 


BETWEEN    THE   PAST  AND   FUTURE.      233 

"  I  hadn't  thouglit  of  that  before,"  she  said  with  a 
laugh. 

"  What  a  fool  I  was,  then,  to  put  it  into  your  head  !  " 

"You  must  be  more  careful.  I'd  never  have  such 
thoughts  if  you  didn't  suggest  them." 

"  How  did  you  come  to  get  such  a  good  education  ?  " 

"  I  wish  I  had  a  better  one.  Well,  I  did  have  good 
advantages  up  to  the  time  I  was  seventeen.  After  I  was 
old  enough  I  went  to  school  quite  steadily,  but  it  seems 
to  me  that  I  learned  a  little  of  everything  and  not  much 
of  anything.  When  father  died  and  we  lost  our  property, 
we  had  to  take  to  our  needles.  I  suppose  I  might  have 
obtained  work  in  a  store,  or  some  such  place,  but  I 
couldn't  bear  to  leave  mother  alone  and  I  disliked  being 
in  public.  I  certainly  didn't  know  enough  to  teach,  and 
besides,  I  was  afraid  to  try." 

"  Well,  well  I  you've  stumbled  into  a  quiet  enough  place 
at  last." 

"  That's  what  I  like  most  about  it,  but  I  don't  think  I 
stumbled  into  it.  I  think  I've  been  led  and  helped. 
That's  what  I  meant  when  I  said  you  didn't  understand 
me,"  she  added  hesitatingly.  "  It  don't  take  courage  for 
me  to  go  to  God.  I  get  courage  by  believing  that  he 
cares  for  me  like  a  father,  as  the  Bible  says.  How  could 
I  ever  have  found  so  kind  a  friend  and  good  a  home 
myself  ?  " 

"  I've  been  half  inclined  to  believe  there's  a  Providence 
in  it  myself — more  and  more  so  as  I  get  acquainted  with 
you.  Your  troubles  have  made  you  better,  Alida  ;  mine 
made  me  worse.  I  used  to  be  a  Christian  ;  I  aint  any 
more." 

She  looked  at  him  smilingly  as  she  asked,  "  How  do 
you  know  ?  " 


234      HE   FELL   LN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  Oh !  I  know  well  enough,"  he  replied  gloomily. 
"  Don't  let's  talk  about  it  any  more,"  and  then  he  led  her 
on  to  speak  simply  and  naturally  about  her  childhood 
home  and  her  father  and  mother. 

"  Well,"  he  said  heartily,  "  I  wish  your  mother  was 
living,  for  nothing  would  please  me  better  than  to  have 
such  a  good  old  lady  in  the  house," 

She  averted  her  face  as  she  said  huskily,  "  I  think  it 

was  better  she  died  before "     But  she  did  not  finish 

the  sentence. 

By  the  time  dinner  was  over  the  sun  was  shining 
brightly,  and  he  asked  her  if  she  would  not  like  to  go  up 
the  lane  to  his  woodland  to  see  the  view.  Her  pleased 
look  was  sufficient  answer.  "  But  are  you  sure  you  are 
strong  enough  ?  "  he  persisted. 

"  Yes,  it  will  do  me  good  to  go  out,  and  I  may  find 
some  wild  flowers." 

"  I  guess  you  can,  a  million  or  two." 

By  the  time  he  was  through  at  the  barn  she  was  ready 
and  they  started  up  the  lane,  now  green  with  late  April 
grass  and  enlivened  with  dandelions  in  which  bumble- 
bees were  wallowing.  The  sun  had  dried  the  moisture 
sufficiently  for  them  to  pass  on  dry-shod,  but  everything 
had  the  fresh,  vernal  aspect  that  follows  a  warm  rain. 
Spring  had  advanced  with  a  great  bound  since  the  day 
before.  The  glazed  and  glutinous  cherry  buds  had 
expanded  with  aromatic  odors  and  the  white  of  the 
blossoms  was  beginning  to  show, 

"  By  to-morrow,"  said  Holcroft,  "  the  trees  will  look  as 
if  covered  with  snow.  Let  me  help  you,"  and  he  put  his 
hand  under  her  arm,  supporting  and  aiding  her  steps  up 
the  steep  places. 

Her  lips  were  parted,  the  pleased  look  was  in  her  eyes 


BETWEEN    THE   PAST  AND   FUTURE.      235 

as  they  rested  on  trees  and  shrubs  which  hned  the  half 
ruinous  stone  walls  on  either  side.  "  Everything  seems 
so  alive  and  glad  this  afternoon,"  she  remarked. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  matter-of-fact  farmer.  "  A  rain 
such  as  we  had  this  morning  is  like  turning  the  water  on 
a  big  mill-wheel.  It  starts  all  the  machinery  right  up. 
Now  the  sun's  out,  and  that's  the  greatest  motor  power 
of  all.     Sun  and  moisture  make  the  farm  go." 

"  Mustn't  the  ground  be  enriched,  too.'*  " 

"  Yes,  yes  indeed  ;  I  suppose  that's  where  we  all  fail. 
But  it's  no  easy  matter  to  keep  a  farm  in  good  heart. 
That's  another  reason  why  I'm  so  glad  I  won't  have  to 
sell  my  stock.  A  farm  run  without  stock  is  sure  to  grow 
poor,  and  if  the  farm  grows  poor,  the  owner  does  as  a 
matter  of  course.  But  what  put  enriching  the  ground 
into  your  head  ?  Do  you  know  anything  ai)out  farm- 
ing }  " 

'•  No,  but  I  want  to~  learn.  When  I  was  a  girl,  father 
had  a  garden.  He  used  to  take  papers  about  it.  and  I 
often  read  them  aloud  to  him  evenings.  Now  I  remem- 
ber there  used  to  be  much  in  them  about  enriching  the 
ground.     Do  you  take  any  such  paper  ?  " 

"No.     I  haven't  much  faith  in  book-farming." 

"  I  don't  know,"  she  ventured.  "  Seems  to  me  you 
might  get  some  good  ideas  out  of  papers,  and  your 
experience  would  teach  you  whether  they  were  useful 
ideas  or  not.     If  you'll  take  one,  I'll  read  it  to  you." 

"  I  will,  then,  for  the  pleasure  of  hearing  you  read,  if 
nothing  else.  That's  something  I  hadn't  bargained  for," 
he  added,  laughing. 

She  answered  in  the  same  spirit  by  saying,  "  I'll  throw 
that  in  and  not  call  it  square  yet." 

"  I  think  I've  got  the  best  of  you,"  he  chuckled  ;  "  and 


236      HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

you  know  nothing  makes  a  Yankee  farmer  happier  than 
to  get  the  best  of  a  bargain." 

"  I  hope  you'll  continue  to  think  so.  Can  I  sit  down  a 
few  moments  ?  " 

"  Why,  certainly  !  How  forgetful  I  am  !  Your  talk  is 
too  interesting  for  me  to  think  of  anything  else,"  and  he 
placed  her  on  a  flat  rock  by  the  side  of  the  lane,  while 
he  leaned  against  the  wall. 

Bees  and  other  insects  were  humming  around  them  ;  a 
butterfly  fluttered  over  the  fence  and  alighted  on  a 
dandelion  almost  at  her  feet  ;  meadow  larks  were  whis- 
tling their  limpid  notes  in  the  adjoining  fields,  while  from 
the  trees  about  the  house  beneath  them  came  the  songs 
of  many  birds,  blending  with  the  babble  of  the  brook 
which  ran  not  far  away. 

"  Oh,  how  beautiful,  how  strangely  beautiful  it  all  is  !  " 

"  Yes,  when  you  come  to  think  of  it,  it  is  real  pretty," 
he  replied.  "  It's  a  pity  we  get  so  used  to  such  things 
that  we  don't  notice  'em  much.  I  should  feel  miserable 
enough,  though,  if  I  couldn't  live  in  just  such  a  place.  I 
shouldn't  wonder  if  I  was  a  good  deal  like  that  robin  yon- 
der. I  like  to  be  free  and  enjoy  the  spring  weather,  but 
I  suppose  neither  he  nor  I  think  or  know  how  fine  it 
all  is," 

"  Well,  both  you  and  the  robin  seem  a  part  of  it,"  she 
said,  laughing. 

"  Oh,  no,  no  !"  he  replied  with  a  guffaw  which  sent  the 
the  robin  off  in  alarm,  "  I  aint  beautiful  and  never 
was." 

She  joined  his  laugh,  but  said  with  a  positive  little  nod, 
"  I'm  right,  though.  The  robin  isn't  a  pretty  bird,  yet 
everybody  likes  him." 

"Except   in   cherry   time.     Then   he  has   an  appetite 


BETWEEN    THE   PAST  AND   FUTURE.      237 

equal  to  mine.  But  everybody  don't  like  me.  In  fact,  1 
think  I'm  generally  disliked  in  this  town." 

"  If  you  went  among  them  more  they  wouldn't  dislike 
you." 

"  I  don't  want  to  go  among  them." 

"  They  know  it,  and  that's  the  reason  they  dislike  you." 

"  Would  you  like  to  go  out  to  tea-drinkings,  and  all 
that  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed  ;  and  I  don't  suppose  I'd  be  received," 
she  added  sadly. 

"  So  much  the  worse  for  them,  then,  blast  'em  !"  said 
Holcroft  wrathfully. 

"Oh  no  I  I  don't  feel  that  way  and  you  shouldn't. 
When  they  can,  people  ought  to  be  sociable  and  kind." 

"  Of  course  I'd  do  any  of  my  neighbors,  except  Lemuel 
W^eeks,  a  good  turn  if  it  came  in  my  way,  but  the  less  I 
have  to  do  with  them  the  better  I'm  satisfied." 

"  I'm  rested  enough  to  go  on  now,"  said  Alida  quietly. 

They  were  not  long  in  reaching  the  t(\g^  of  the  wood- 
land, from  which  there  was  an  extended  prospect.  For 
some  little  time  they  looked  at  the  wide  landscape  in 
silence.  Alida  gave  to  it  only  partial  attention,  for  her 
mind  was  very  busy  with  thoughts  suggested  by  her  hus- 
band's alienation  from  his  neighbors.  It  would  make  it 
easier  for  her,  but  the  troubled  query  would  arise,  "  Is  it 
right  or  best  for  him  ?  His  marrying  me  will  separate 
him  still  more." 

Holcroft's  face  grew  sad  rather  than  troubled  as  he 
looked  at  the  old  meeting  house  and  not  at  the  landscape. 
He  was  sitting  near  the  spot  where  he  spent  that  long 
forenoon  a  few  Sundays  before,  and  the  train  of  thought 
came  back  again.  In  his  deep  abstraction,  he  almost 
forgot  the  woman  near  him   in  memories  of   the  past. 


238      HE   FELL   LN  LOVE    WLTH  HIS    WIFE. 

His  old  love  and  lost  faith  were  inseparable  from  that 
little  white  spire  in  the  distance. 

Alida  stole  a  glance  at  him  and  thought,  "  He's  think- 
ing of  her,"  and  she  quietly  strolled  away  to  look  for 
wild  flowers. 

"  Yes,"  muttered  Holcroft,  at  last,  "  I  hope  Bessie 
knows.  She'd  be  the  first  one  to  say  it  was  right  and 
best  for  me,  and  she'd  be  glad  to  know  that  in  securing 
my  own  home  and  comfort  I  had  given  a  home  to  the 
homeless  and  sorrowful — a  quiet,  good  woman,  who 
worships  God  as  she  did." 

He  rose  and  joined  his  wife,  who  held  toward  him  a 
handful  of  trailing  arbutus,  rue  anemones,  bloodroot,  and 
clicentras.  "  I  didn't  know  they  were  so  pretty  before," 
he  said  with  a  smile. 

His  smile  reassured  her,  for  it  seemed  kinder  than 
any  she  had  yet  received,  and  his  tone  was  very  gentle. 
"  His  dead  wife  will  never  be  my  enemy,"  she  murmured. 
^  He  has  made  it  right  with  her  in  his  own  thoughts." 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

GIVEN    HER   OWN    WAY. 

On  Monday  the  absorbing  work  of  the  farm  was  re- 
newed, and  every  day  brought  to  Holcroft  long  and 
exhausting  hours  of  labor.  While  he  was  often  taciturn, 
he  evidently  progressed  in  cheerfulness  and  hope.  Alida 
confirmed  his  good  impressions.  His  meals  were  prompt 
and  inviting  ;  the  house  was  taking  on  an  aspect  of  neat- 
ness and  order  long  absent,  and  his  wardrobe  was  put 
in  as  good  condition  as  its  rather  meager  character  per- 
mitted. He  had  positively  refused  to  permit  his  wife  to 
do  any  washing  and  ironhig.  "  We  will  see  about  it 
next  fall,"  he  said.  "  If  then  you  are  perfectly  well  and 
strong,  perhaps,  but  not  in  the  warm  weather  now  com- 
ing on."  Then  he  added,  with  a  little  nod,  "  I'm  finding 
out  how  valuable  you  are,  and  I'd  rather  save  you  than 
the  small  sum  I  have  to  pay  old  Mrs.  Johnson." 

In  this  and  in  other  ways  he  showed  kindly  considera- 
tion, but  his  mind  continually  reverted  to  his  work  and 
outdoor  plans  with  the  preoccupation  of  one  who  finds 
that  he  can  again  give  his  thoughts  to  something  from 
which  they  had  been  most  reluctantly  withdrawn.  Thus 
Alida  was  left  alone  most  of  the  time.  When  the  dusk 
of  evening  came  he  was  too  tired  to  say  much,  and  he 
retired  early  that  he  might  be  fresh  for  work  again  when 
the  sun  appeared.  She  had  no  regrets,  for  although  she 
kept  busy  she  was  resting  and   her  wounds  were  heal- 


340     HE  FELL   IiV  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

ing  through  the  long,  quiet  days.  It  was  the  essential 
cahii  after  the  storm.  Caring  for  the  dairy  and  work- 
ing the  butter  into  firm,  sweet,  tempting  yellow  rolls 
were  the  only  tasks  that  troubled  her  a  little,  but  Hol- 
croft  assured  her  that  she  was  learning  these  impor- 
tant duties  faster  than  he  had  expected  her  to.  She 
had  several  hours  a  day  in  which  to  ply  her  needle, 
and  thus  was  soon  enabled  to  replenish  her  scanty 
wardrobe. 

One  morning  at  breakfast  she  appeared  in  another 
gown,  and  although  its  material  was  calico,  she  had  the 
appearance  to  Holcroft  of  being  unusually  well  dressed. 
He  looked  pleased,  but  made  no  comment.  When  the 
cherry  blossoms  were  fully  out,  an  old  cracked  flower 
vase — the  only  one  in  the  house — was  filled  with  them, 
and  they  were  placed  in  the  center  of  the  dinner  table. 
He  looked  at  them  and  her,  then  smilingly  remarked, 
"  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  you  enjoyed  those  cherry  blows 
more  than  anything  else  we  have  for  dinner." 

"  I  want  something  else,  though.  My  appetite  almost 
frightens  me." 

"  That's  famous !  I  needn't  be  ashamed  of  mine, 
then." 

One  evening,  before  the  week  was  over,  he  saw  her 
busy  with  a  rake  about  the  door.  Last  year's  leaves 
were  still  scattered  about,  with  twigs  and  even  small 
boughs  wrested  by  the  winds  from  the  trees.  He  was 
provoked  with  himself  that  he  had  neglected  the  usual 
spring  clearing  away  of  litter,  and  a  little  irritated  that 
she  should  have  tried  to  do  the  work  herself.  He  left 
the  horses  at  the  barn  and  came  forward  directly. 
"  Alida,"  he  said  gravely,  "  there's  no  need  of  your  doing 
such  work  ;  I  don't  like  to  see  you  do  it." 


GIVEN  II ER   OWN    WAY.  241 

"  Why,"  she  replied,  "  I've  heard  that  women  in  the 
country  often  milk  and  take  care  of  the  chickens." 

"  Yes,  but  that's  very  different  from  this  work.  I 
wouldn't  like  people  to  think  I  expected  such  things  of 
you." 

"  It's  very  easy  work,"  she  said  smilingly,  "  easier  than 
sweeping  a  room,  though  something  like  it.  I  used  to 
do  it  at  home  when  I  was  a  girl.  I  think  it  does  me 
good  to  do  something  in  the  open  air." 

She  was  persisting,  but  not  in  a  way  that  chafed  him. 
Indeed,  as  he  looked  into  her  appealing  eyes  and  face 
flushed  with  exercise,  he  felt  that  it  would  be  churlish  to 
say  another  word. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  laughing.  "  it  makes  you  look  so 
young  and  rosy  I  guess  it  does  you  good.  I  suppose 
you'll  have  to  have  your  own  way." 

"  You  know  I  wouldn't  do  this  or  anything  else  if  you 
really  didn't  want  me  to." 

"  You^  are  keen,"  he  replied,  with  his  good-nature 
entirely  restored.  "  You  can  see  that  you  get  me  right 
under  your  thumb  when  you  talk  that  way.  But  we 
must  l)oth  be  on  our  guard  against  your  fault,  you  know, 
or  pretty  soon  you'll  be  taking  the  whole  work  of  the 
farm  off  my  hands." 

"  To  be  serious,"  she  resumed,  accompanying  him  to 
the  barn  for  the  first  time,  "  I  think  you  are  working  too 
hard.  I'm  not.  Our  meals  are  so  simple  that  it  doesn't 
take  me  long  to  get  them.  I'm  through  with  the  hurry 
in  my  sewing,  the  old  dog  does  the  churning,  and  you 
give  me  so  much  help  in  the  dairy  that  I  shall  soon  have 
time  on  my  hands.  Now  it  seems  to  me  that  I  might 
soon  learn  to  take  entire  care  of  the  chickens,  big  and 
little,  and  that  would  be  so  much  less  for  you  to  look 


242      HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

after.  I'm  sure  I  would  enjoy  it  very  much,  especially 
the  looking  after  the  little  chickens." 

"  Do  you  really  think  you'd  like  to  do  that  ?  "  he  asked, 
as  he  turned  to  her  from  unharnessing  the  horses. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  if  you  think  I'm  competent." 

"  You  are  more  so  than  I  am.  Somehow,  little 
chickens  don't  thrive  under  a  busy  man's  care.  The 
mother  hens  mean  well,  but  they  are  so  confoundedly 
silly.  I  declare  to  you  that  last  year  I  lost  half  the  little 
chicks  that  were  hatched  out." 

"Well,  then,"  she  replied,  laughing,  "  I  won't  be  afraid 
to  tr}',  for  I  think  I  can  beat  you  in  raising  chickens. 
Now,  show  me  how  much  you  feed  them  at  night  and 
how  much  I'm  to  give  them  in  the  morning,  and  let  me 
take  the  whole  care  of  them  for  a  month,  ^^1  the  eggs, 
and  all.  If  they  don't  do  so  well,  then  I'll  resign.  I 
can't  break  you  in  a  month." 

"  It  looks  more  as  if  you'd  make  me.  You  have  a 
good  big  bump  of  order,  and  I  haven't  any  at  all  in  little 
things.  Tom  Watterly  was  right.  If  I  had  tried  to  live 
here  alone,  things  would  have  got  into  an  awful  mess. 
I  feel  ashamed  of  myself  that  I  didn't  clear  up  the  yard 
before,  but  my  whole  mind's  been  on  the  main  crops." 

"  As  it  should  be.  Don't  you  worry  about  the  little 
things.  They  belong  to  me.  Now  show  me  about  the 
chickens,  or  they  '11  go  to  roost  while  we're  talking." 

"  But  I,  as  well  as  the  chickens,  shall  want  some 
supper." 

"  I  won't  let  either  of  you  starve.     You'll  see." 

"  Well,  you  see  this  little  measure  }  You  fill  it  from 
this  bin  with  this  mixture  of  corn  and  wheat  screenings. 
That's  the  allowance,  morning  and  evening.  Then  you 
go  out  to  the  barn3'ard  there,  and  call   *  kip,   kip,  kip.' 


GIVEN  HER   OWN    WAY.  243 

That's  the  way  my  wife  used "     He  stopped  in  a 

little  embarrassment. 

"  I'd  be  glad  if  I  could  do  everything  as  she  did,"  said 
Alida  gently.  "  It  has  grown  clearer  every  day  how 
hard  her  loss  was  to  you.  If  you'll  tell  me  what  she  did 
and  how  she  did  things "  and  she  hesitated. 

"  That's  good  of  you,  Alida,"  he  replied  gratefully. 
Then,  with  his  directness  of  speech,  he  added,  "  I  believe 
some  women  are  inclined  to  be  jealous  even  of  the  dead." 

"  You  need  never  fear  to  speak  of  your  wife  to  me.  I 
respect  and  honor  your  feelings — the  way  you  remember 
her.  There's  no  reason  why  it  should  be  otherwise.  I 
did  not  agree  to  one  thing  and  expect  another,"  and  she 
looked  him  straight  in  the  eyes. 

He  dropped  them,  as  he  stood  leaning  against  the  bin 
in  the  shadowy  old  barn,  and  said,  "  I  didn't  think  you 
or  anyone  would  be  so  sensible.  Of  course,  one  can't 
forget  quickly " 

"  You  oughtn't  to  forget,"  was  the  firm  reply.  "  Why 
should  you?  I  should  be  sorry  to  think  you  could 
forget." 

"  I  fear  I'm  not  like  to  make  you  sorry,"  he  replied, 

sighing.     "  To  tell  you  the  truth "  he  added,  looking 

at  her  almost  commiseratingly,  and  then  he  hesitated. 

"  Well,  the  truth  is  usually  best,"  she  said  quietly. 

"  Well,  I'll  tell  you  my  thought.  We  married  in  haste, 
we  were  almost  strangers,  and  your  mind  was  so  dis- 
tracted at  the  time  that  I  couldn't  blame  you  if  you  for- 
got what— what  I  said.  I  feared — well,  you  are  carrying 
out  our  agreement  so  sensibly  that  I  want  to  thank  you. 
It's  a  relief  to  find  that  you're  not  opposed,  even  in  your 
heart,  that  I  should  remember  one  that  I  knew  as  a  little 
child  and  married  when  I  was  young." 


244     HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  I  remember  all  you  said  and  what  I  said,"  she 
replied,  with  the  same  direct,  honest  gaze.  "  Don't  let 
such  thoughts  trouble  you  any  more.  You've  been  kinder 
and  more  considerate  than  I  ever  expected.  You  have 
only  to  tell  me  how  she  did " 

"  No,  Alida,"  he  said  quietly,  obeying  a  subtle  impulse. 
"  I'd  rather  you  would  do  everything  your  own  way — as 
it's  natural  for  you.  There,  we've  talked  so  long  that  it's 
too  late  to  feed  the  chickens  to-night.  You  can  begin  in 
the  morning." 

"  Oh  ! "  she  cried,  "  and  you  have  all  your  other  work 
to  do.  I've  hindered  rather  than  helped  you  by  coming 
out." 

"  No,"  he  replied  decidedly,  "  you've  helped  me.  I'll 
be  in  before  very  long." 

She  returned  to  the  house  and  busied  herself  in  prep- 
arations for  supper.  She  was  very  thoughtful,  and  at 
last  concluded :  "  Yes,  he  is  right.  I  understand.  Al- 
though I  may  do  what  his  wife  did,  he  don't  wish  me  to 
do  it  as  she  did.  There  could  only  be  a  partial  and 
painful  resemblance  to  his  eyes.  Both  he  and  I  would 
suffer  in  comparisons,  and  he  be  continually  reminded  of 
his  loss.  She  was  his  wife  in  reality,  and  all  relating  to 
her  is  something  sacred  and  past  to  him.  The  less  I  am 
like  her,  the  better.  He  married  me  for  the  sake  of  his 
farm,  and  I  can  best  satisfy  him  by  carrying  out  his  pur- 
pose in  my  own  way.  He's  through  with  sentiment  and 
has  taken  the  kindest  way  he  could  to  tell  me  that  I've 
nothing  to  do  with  his  past.  He  feared,  yes,  ht  feared,  I 
should  forget  our  businesslike  agreement !  I  didn't 
know  I  had  given  him  cause  to  fear;  I  certainly  won't 
hereafter  !  "  and  the  wife  felt,  with  a  trace  of  bitterness 
and  shame,  that  she  had  been  put  on  her  guard  ;  that  her 


GIVEN  HER   OWN    WAY.  245 

husband  had  wished  to  remind  her  thai  she  must  not 
forget  his  motive  in  marrying  her,  or  expect  anything  not 
in  consonance  with  that  motive.  Perhaps  she  had  been  . 
too  wifelike  in  her  manner,  and  therefore  he  had  feared. 
She  was  as  sensitive  to  such  a  reproach  as  she  would  have 
been  in  her  girlhood. 

For  once  her  intuition  was  at  fault,  and  she  misjudged 
Holcroft  in  some  respects.  He  did  think  he  was  through 
with  sentiment ;  he  could  not  have  talked  deliberately  to 
Alida  or  to  any  other  about  his  old  life  and  love,  and  he 
truly  felt  that  she  had  no  part  in  that  life.  It  had 
become  a  sad  and  sacred  memory,  yet  he  wished  to  feel 
that  he  had  the  right  to  dwell  upon  it  as  he  chose.  In 
his  downright  sincerity  he  wished  her  to  know  that  he 
could  not  help  dwelling  on  it  ;  that  for  him  some  things 
were  over,  and  that  he  was  not  to  blame.  He  was  pro- 
foundly grateful  to  her  that  she  had  so  clearly  accepted 
the  facts  of  his  past,  and  of  their  own  present  relations. 
He  had  feared,  it  is  true,  but  she  had  not  realized  his 
fears,  and  he  felt  that  it  was  her  due  that  he  should 
acknowledge  her  straightforward  carrying  out  of  the 
compact  made  under  circumstances  which  might  well 
excuse  her  from  realizing  everything  fully. 

Moreover,  direct  and  matter  of  fact  as  he  was,  he  had 
felt  vaguely  the  inevitable  difficulties  of  their  relation- 
ship. The  very  word  "  wife  "  might  suggest  to  her  mind 
an  affection  which  he  believed  it  was  not  in  his  power  to 
bestow.  They  had  agreed  to  give  an  arbitrary  and  un- 
usual meaning  to  their  marriage,  and,  while  thinking  it 
could  have  no  other  meaning  for  him,  his  mind  was 
haunted,  and  he  feared  that  hers  might  be,  by  the  nat- 
ural significance  of  the  rite.  So  far  from  meaning  to 
hint  that  she  had  been   too  wifelike,  he  had  meant  to 


246     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

acknowledge  her  simple  and  natural  fulfillment  of  his 
wishes  in  a  position  far  more  difficult  to  fill  than  even  he 
imagined.  That  she  succeeded  so  well  was  due  to  the 
fact  that  she  entertained  for  him  all  the  kind  feelings 
possible  except  the  one  supreme  regard  which,  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  would  have  accounted  for  the 
marriage.  The  reason  that  all  promised  to  go  so  well 
in  their  relationship  of  mere  mutual  help  was  the  truth 
that  this  basis  of  union  had  satisfied  their  mutual  need. 
As  the  farmer  had  hoped,  they  had  become  excellent 
friends,  supplementing  each  other's  work  in  a  way  that 
promised  prosperity. 

Without  the  least  intention  on  the  part  of  either, 
chance  words  had  been  spoken  which  would  not  be 
without  effect.  He  had  told  her  to  do  everything  in  her 
own  way,  because  the  moment  he  thought  of  it  he  knew 
he  liked  her  ways.  They  possessed  a  novelty  and  nat- 
ural grace  which  interested  him.  There  are  both  a  natural 
and  a  conventional  grace,  and  the  true  lady  learns  to  blend 
the  one  with  the  other  so  as  to  make  a  charming  manner 
essentially  her  own — a  manner  which  makes  a  woman  a 
lady  the  world  over.  Alida  had  little  more  than  natural 
grace  and  refinement,  unmodified  by  society.  This  the 
plain  farmer  could  understand,  and  he  was  already  awak- 
ening to  an  appreciation  of  it.  It  impressed  him  agree- 
ably that  Alida  should  be  trim  and  neat  while  about  her 
work,  and  that  all  her  actions  were  entirely  free  from  the 
coarse,  slovenly  manner,  the  limp  carriage,  and  slatternly 
aspect  of  the  whole  tribe  which  had  come  and  gone  dur- 
ing the  past  year.  They  had  all  been  so  much  alike  in 
possessing  disagreeable  traits  that  he  felt  that  Alida  was 
the  only  peculiar  one  among  them.  He  never  thought  of 
instituting  comparisons  between  her  and  his  former  wife, 


GIVEN  HER   OWN    WAY.  247 

yet  he  did  so  unconsciously.  Mrs.  Holcroft  had  been  too 
much  like  himself,  matter  of  fact,  materialistic,  kind,  and 
good.  Devoid  of  imagination,  uneducated  in  mind,  her 
thoughts  had  not  ranged  far  from  what  she  touched  and 
saw.  She  touched  them  with  something  of  their  own 
heaviness,  she  saw  them  as  objects — just  what  they 
were — and  was  incapable  of  obtaining  from  them  much 
suggestion  or  enjoyment.  She  knew  when  the  cherry 
and  plum  trees  were  in  blossom  just  as  she  knew  it  was 
April.  The  beautiful  sounds  and  changes  in  nature 
reminded*  her  that  it  was  time  to  do  certain  kinds  of 
work,  and  with  her  work  was  alpha  and  omega.  As  her 
mother  had  before  her,  she  was  inclined  to  be  a  house- 
drudge  rather  than  a  housewife.  Thrift,  neatness,  order, 
marked  the  limits  of  her  endeavor,  and  she  accomplished 
her  tasks  with  the  awkward,  brisk  directness  learned  in 
her  mother's  kitchen.  Only  mind,  imagination,  and  re- 
finement can  embroider  the  homely  details  of  life.  Alida 
would  learn  to  do  all  that  she  had  done,  but  the 
woman  with  a  finer  nature  would  do  it  in  a  different 
way.  Holcroft  already  knew  he  liked  this  way,  although 
he  could  not  define  it  to  himself.  Tired  as  he  was  when 
he  came  home  in  the  evening,  his  eyes  would  often  kindle 
with  pleasure  at  some  action  or  remark  that  interested 
him  from  its  novelty.  In  spite  of  his  weariness  and  pre- 
occupation, in  spite  of  a  still  greater  obstacle— the  inertia 
of  a  mind  dulled  by  material  life — he  had  begun  to  con- 
sider Alida's  personality  for  its  own  sake.  He  liked 
to  watch  her,  not  to  see  what  she  did  to  his  advantage, 
but  how  she  did  it.  She  was  awakening  an  agreeable 
expectancy,  and  he  sometimes  smilingly  said  to  himself, 
*'  What  next  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no  !  "  he  thought  as  he  was  milking  the  last  cow 


248     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HJS    WIFE. 

"  I'd  much  rather  she'd  take  her  own  natural  way  in 
doing  things.  It  would  be  easier  for  her  and  it's  her 
right  and — and  somehow  I  like  her  way  just  as  I  used  to 
like  Bessie's  ways.  She  isn't  Bessie  and  never  can  be, 
and  foi' some  reason  I'd  like  her  to  be  as  different  as 
possible." 

Unconsciously  and  unintentionally,  however,  he  had 
given  Alida's  sensitive  nature  a  slight  wound.  She  felt 
that  she  had  been  told  in  effect,  "  You  can  help  me  all 
you  please,  and  I  would  rather  you  would  do  this  in  a 
way  that  will  not  awaken  associations,  but  you  must  not 
think  of  me  or  expect  me  to  think  of  you  in  any  light 
that  was  not  agreed  upon."  That  he  had  feared  the 
possibility  of  this,  that  he  might  have  fancied  he  saw 
indications  of  this,  hurt  her  pride— that  pride  and  deli- 
cacy of  feeling  which  most  women  shield  so  instinctively. 
She  was  now  consciously  on  her  guard,  and  so  was  not 
so  secure  against  the  thoughts  she  deprecated  as  before. 
In  spite  of  herself,  a  restraint  would  tinge  her  manner 
which  he  would  eventually  feel  in  a  vague,  uncomfortable 
way. 

But  he  came  in  at  last,  very  tired  and  thoroughly  good- 
natured.     "  I'm  going  to  town  to-morrow,"  he  said,  "and 
I  thought  of  taking  a  very  early  start  so  as  to  save  time. 
Would  you  like  to  go  ?  " 
"  There's  no  need  of  my  going." 
"  I  thought  perhaps  you'd  enjoy  the  drive." 
"  I  would  have  to  meet  strangers  and  I'm  so  entirely 
content  in  being  alone — I  won't  go  this  time  unless  you 
wish  it." 

"Well,  if  you  don't  care  about  it  I'll  carry  out  my  first 
plan  and  take  a  very  early  start.  I  want  to  sell  the  butter 
and  eggs  on  hand,  repay  Tom  Watterly,  and  get  some 


GIVEN  HER   OWN    WAY.  249 

seeds.  We  need  some  things  from  the  store,  too,  I 
suppose?" 

"  Yes,  you  are  such  a  coffee  drinker "  she  began, 

smiHng. 

"  Oh,  I  know  !  "  he  interrupted.  "  Make  out  your  Hst. 
You  shall  say  what  we  want.  Isn't  there  something  you 
want  for  yourself  }  " 

"  No,  not  for  myself,  but  I  do  want  something  that 
perhaps  you  would  enjoy,  too.  You  may  think  it  a 
waste  of  money,  though." 

"  Well,  you've  a  right  to  waste  some  in  your  way  as 
well  as  I  have  over  my  pipe." 

"  That's  good.  I  hadn't  thought  of  that.  You  are  the 
one  that  puts  notions  into  my  head.  I  would  like  three 
or  four  geraniums  and  a  few  flower  seeds." 

He  looked  as  if  he  was  thinking  deeply  and  she  felt  a 
little  hurt  that  he  should  not  comply  at  once  with  her  re- 
quest, knowing  that  the  outlay  suggested  was  very  slight. 

At  last  he  looked  up,  smiling  as  he  said,  "  So  I  put 
notions  into  your  head,  do  I  ?  " 

"Oh,  well,"  she  replied,  flushing  in  the  consciousness 
of  her  thoughts,  "  if  you  think  it's  foolish  to  spend 
money  for  such  things " 

"Tush,  tush,  Alida!  Of  course  I'll  get  what  you 
wish.  But  I  really  am  going  to  put  a  notion  into  your 
head,  and  it's  stupid  and  scarcely  fair  in  me  that  I  hadn't 
thought  of  some  such  plan  before.  You  want  to  take 
care  of  the  chickens.  Well,  I  put  them  wholly  in  your 
care  and  you  shall  have  all  you  can  make  off  them — 
eggs,  young  chickens,  and  everything." 

"That  IS  a  new  notion,"  she  replied,  laughing.  "I 
hadn't  thought  of  such  a  thing  and  it's  more  than  fair. 
What  would  I  do  with  so  much  money  ?  " 


250      HE   FELL   LN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  What  you  please.  Buy  yourself  silk  dresses  if  you 
want  to." 

"But  I  couldn't  use  a  quarter  of  the  money." 

"  No  matter,  use  what  you  like  and  I'll  put  the  rest  in 
the  bank  for  you  and  in  your  name.  I  was  a  nice  kind  of 
a  business  partner,  wasn't  I  ?  Expecting  you  to  do  nearly 
half  the  work  and  then  have  you  say,  *  Will  you  please 
get  me  a  few  plants  and  seeds  ?  '  and  then,  '  Oh  !  if  you 
think  it's  foolish  to  spend  nioney  for  such  things.'  Why, 
you  have  as  good  a  right  to  spend  some  of  the  money 
you  help  earn  as  I  have.  You've  shown  you'll  be  sensi- 
ble in  spending  it.  I  don't  believe  you'll  use  enough  of 
it.     Anyway,  it  will  be  yours,  as  it  ought  to  be." 

"  Very  well,"  she  replied,  nodding  at  him  with  piquant 
significance,  "  I'll  always  have  some  to  lend  you." 

"  Yes,  shouldn't  wonder  if  you  were  the  richest  some 
day.  Everything  you  touch  seems  to  turn  out  well.  I 
shall  be  wholly  dependent  on  you  hereafter  for  eggs  and 
an  occasional  fricassee." 

"  You  shall  have  your  share.  Yes,  I  like  this  notion. 
It  grows  on  me,  I'd  like  to  earn  some  money  to  do 
what  I  please  with.  You'll  be  surprised  to  see  what 
strange  and  extravagant  tastes  I'll  develop!" 

"  I  expect  to  be  perfectly  dumfoundered,  as  Mrs.  Mump- 
son  used  to  say.  Since  you  are  so  willing  to  lend  I'll 
lend  you  enough  to  get  all  you  want  to-morrow.  Make 
out  your  list.  You  can  get  a  good  start  to-morrow,  for 
I  was  too  tired  and  it  was  too  late  for  me  to  gather  the 
eggs  to-night.  I  know,  too,  that  a  good  many  of  the 
hens  have  stolen  their  nests  of  late,  and  I've  been  too 
busy  to  look  for  'em.  You  may  find  perfect  mines  of 
eggs,  but,  for  mercy's  sake!  don't  climb  around  in 
dangerous  places.     I  had  such  bad  luck  with  chicks  last 


GIVEN  HER   OWN    WAY.  25 1 

year  that  I've  only  set  a  few  hens.  You  can  set  few  or 
many  now,  just  as  you  please." 

Even  as  he  talked  and  leisurely  finished  his  supper, 
his  eyes  grew  heavy  with  sleep.  "  What  time  will  you 
start  to-morrow  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Oh,  no  matter ;  long  before  you  are  up  or  ought  to 
be.  I'll  get  myself  a  cup  of  coffee.  I  expect  to  do  my 
morning  work  and  be  back  by  nine  or  ten  o'clock,  for  I 
wish  to  get  in  some  potatoes  and  other  vegetables  before 
Sunday." 

"  Very  well,  I'll  make  out  my  list  and  lay  it  on  the 
table  here.  Now,  why  don't  you  go  and  sleep  at  once? 
You  ought,  with  such  an  early  start  in  prospect." 

"  Ought  I  ?  Well,  I  never  felt  more  inclined  to  do  my 
duty.  You  must  own  up  I  have  put  one  good  notion 
into  your  head  ?  " 

"  I  have  said  nothing  against  any  of  them.  Come,  you 
ought  to  go  at  once." 

"  Can't  I  smoke  my  pipe  first,  please  ?  " 

"  You'll  find  it  quieter  in  the  parlor." 

"  But  it's  pleasanter  here  where  I  can  watch  you." 

"  Do  you  think  I  need  watching  }  " 

•*  Yes,  a  little,  since  you  don't  look  after  your  own 
interests  very  sharply." 

"  It  isn't  my  way  to  look  after  anything  veiy  sharply." 

"No,  Alida,  thank  the  Lord  !  There's  nothing  sharp 
about  you,  not  even  your  tongue.  You  won't  mind 
being  left  alone  a  few  hours  to-morrow .''  " 

•'  No,  indeed,  I  like  to  be  alone." 

"  I  thought  I  did.  Most  everyone  has  seemed  a 
crowd  to  me.  I'm  glad  you've  never  given  me  that  feel- 
ing. Well,  good-by  till  you  see  me  driving  up  with  the 
geraniums." 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

A   CHARIVARI. 

The  eastern  horizon  was  aglow  with  rosy  tints  the 
following  morning  when  Holcroft  awoke ;  the  stars 
were  but  just  fading  from  the  sky  and  the  birds  were 
still  silent.  He  knew  by  these  signs  that  it  was  very 
early  and  that  he  could  carry  out  his  plan  of  a  timely 
start  to  town.  Dressing  very  quietly,  he  stole  down 
stairs,  shoes  in  hand,  lest  his  tread  should  awaken 
Alida.  The  kitchen  door  leading  into  the  hall  was 
closed.  Lifting  the'  latch  carefully,  he  found  the  lamp 
burning,  the  breakfast  table  set,  and  the  kettle  humming 
over  a  good  fire.  "  This  is  her  work,  but  where  is  she  ?  " 
he  queried  in  much  surprise. 

The  outer  door  was  ajar;  he  noiselessly  crossed  the 
room,  and  looking  out,  he  saw  her.  She  had  been  to 
the  well  for  a  pail  of  water,  but  had  set  it  down  and  was 
watching  the  swiftly  brightening  east.  She  was  so  still 
and  her  face  so  white  in  the  faint  radiance  that  he  had 
an  odd,  uncanny  impression.  No  woman  that  he  had 
ever  known  would  stop  that  way  to  look  at  the  dawn. 
He  could  see  nothing  so  peculiar  in  it  as  to  attract  such 
fixed  attention.     "  Alida,"  he  asked,  "  what  do  you  see  ?  " 

She  started  slightly  and  turned  to  take  up  the  pail  ; 
but  he  had  already  sprung  down  the  steps  and  relieved 
her  of  the  burden. 


A    CHARIVARI.  253 

"Could  anything  be  more  lovely  than  those  changing 
tints?  It  seems  to  me  I  could  have  stood  there  an 
hour,"  she  said  quietly. 

"  You  are  not  walking  or  doing  all  this  in  your  sleep, 
are  you  ?  "  he  asked,  laughing,  yet  regarding  her  curi- 
ously. "  You  looked  as  you  stood  there  like  what  peo- 
ple call  a — what's  that  big  word  ?  " 

"  I'm  not  a  somnambulist  and  never  was,  to  my  knowl- 
edge. You'Jl  find  I'm  wide  enough  awake  to  have  a 
good  breakfast  soon." 

"  But  I  didn't  expect  you  to  get  up  so  early.  I  didn't 
wish  it." 

"  It's  too  late  now,"  she  said  pleasantly,  "  so  I  hope  you 
won't  find  fault  with  me  for  doing  what  I  wanted  to  do." 

"  Did  you  mean  to  be  up  and  have  breakfast  when 
I  told  you  last  night  }  " 

"  Yes.  Of  course  I  didn't  let  you  know,  for  you  would 
have  said  I  mustn't,  and  then  I  couldn't.  It  isn't  good 
for  people  to  get  up  so  early  and  do  as  much  as  you  had 
on  your  mind  without  eating.  Now  you  won't  be  any 
the  worse  for  it." 

"  I  certainly  ought  to  be  the  better  for  so  much  kindly 
consideration  ;  but  it  will  cure  me  of  such  unearthly 
hours  if  you  feel  that  you  must  conform  to  them.  You 
look  pale  this  morning,  Alida  ;  you're  not  strong  enough 
to  do  such  things,  and  there's  no  need  of  it  when  I'm  so 
used  to  waiting  on  myself." 

"  I  shall  have  to  remind  you,"  she  replied,  with  a 
brigiit  look  at  him  over  her  shoulder,  "  that  you  said 
I  could  do  things  my  own  way." 

"  Well,  it  seems  odd  after  a  year  when  everyone  who 
came  here  appeared  to  grudge  doing  a  thing  for  a  man's 
comfort." 


254     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"I  should  hope  I  was  different  from  them." 

"  Well,  you  are.  I  thought  you  were  different  from 
anyone  I  ever  knew  as  I  saw  you  fhere  looking  at  the 
east.     You  seem  wonderfully  fond  of  pretty  things." 

"  I'll  own  to  that.  But  if  you  don't  hurry  you  won't  do 
as  much  as  you  hoped  by  getting  up  early." 

The  morning  was  very  mild,  and  she  left  the  outer  door 
open  as  she  went  quickly  to  and  fro  wuth  elasticity  of 
spirit  as  well  as  step.  It  was  pleasant  to  have  her  efforts 
appreciated  and  almost  as  grateful  to  hear  the  swelling 
harmony  of  song  from  the  awakening  birds.  The  slight 
cloud  that  had  fallen  on  her  thoughts  the  evening  before 
had  lifted.  She  felt  that  she  understood  Holcroft  better, 
and  saw  that  h-is  feeling  was  only  that  of  honest  friendli- 
ness and  satisfaction.  She  had  merely  to  recognize  and 
respond  to  so  much  only  and  all  would  be  well.  Mean- 
time, she  desired  nothing  more,  and  he  should  be 
thoroughly  convinced  of  this  fact.  She  grew  positively 
light-hearted  over  the  fuller  assurance  of  the  truth  that 
although  a  wife,  she  was  not  expected  to  love— only  to 
be  faithful  to  all  his  interests.  This,  and  this  only,  she 
believed  to  be  within  her  power. 

Holcroft  departed  in  the  serenity  characteristic  of  one's 
mood  when  the  present  is  so  agreeable  that  neither 
memories  of  the  past  nor  misgivings  as  to  the  future  are 
obtrusive.  He  met  Watterly  in  town,  and  remarked, 
*'  This  is  another  piece  of  good  luck.  I  hadn't  time  to 
go  out  to  your  place,  although  I  meant  to  take  time." 

"  A  piece  of  good  luck  indeed  ! "  Tom  mentally 
echoed,  for  he  would  have  been  greatly  embarrassed 
if  Holcroft  had  called.  Mrs.  Watterly  felt  that  she  had 
been  scandalized  by  the  marriage  which  had  taken  place 
in  her  absence,  and  was  all  the  more  resentful  for  the 


A    CHARIVARI.  2$$ 

reason  that  she  had  spoken  to  a  cousin  of  uncertain  age 
and  still  more  uncertain  temper  in  behalf  of  the  farmer. 
In  Mrs.  Watterly's  estimate  of  action,  it  was  either  right, 
that  is,  in  accordance  with  her  views,  or  else  it  was 
intolerably  wrong  and  without  excuse.  Poor  Tom  had 
been  made  to  feel  that  he  had  not  only  committed  an 
almost  unpardonable  sin  against  his  wife  and  her  cousin, 
but  also  against  all  the  proprieties  of  life.  "  The  idea  of 
such  a  wedding  taking  place  in  my  rooms  and  with  my 
husband's  sanction!"  she  had  said  with  concentrated 
bitterness.  Then  had  followed  what  he  was  accustomed 
to  characterize  as  a  spell  of  "  zero  weather."  He  dis- 
creetly said  nothing.  "  It  didn't  seem  such  a  bad  idea 
to  me,"  he  thought,  "  but  then  I  suppose  women  folks 
know  best  about  such  things." 

He  was  too  frank  in  his  nature  to  conceal  from  HoI<r 
croft  his  misgivings  or  his  wife's  scornful  and  indignant 
disapproval.  "  Sorry  Angy  feels  so'  bad  about  it,  Jim," 
he.  said  ruefully,  "but  she  says  I  mustn't  buy  anything 
more  of  you." 

"  Or  have  anything  more  to  do  with  me,  I  suppose?  " 

"  Oh,  come  now  !  You  know  a  man's  got  to  let  his 
women-folks  have  their  say  about  household  matters, 
but  tliat  don't  make  any  difference  in  my  feelings  toward 
you." 

"  Well,  well,  Tom  !  if  it  did,  I  should  be  slow  to 
quarrel  with  a  man  who  had  done  me  as  good  a  turn  as 
you  have.  Thank  the  Lord  !  I've  got  a  wife  that  '11  let 
me  have  some  say  about  household  and  all  other  matters. 
You,  too,  are  inclined  to  think  that  I'm  in  an  awfu! 
scrape.  I  feel  less  like  getting  out  of  it  every  day.  My 
wife  is  as  respectable  as  I  am  and  a  good  sight  better 
than    I    am.     If   I'm    no   longer  respectable  for  having 


256     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

married  her,  I  certainly  am  better  contented  than  I  ever 
expected  to  be  again.  I  want  it  understood,  though, 
that  the  man  who  says  anything  against  my  wife  may 
have  to  get  me  arrested  for  assault  and  battery." 

"When  it  comes  to  that,  Jim,"  replied  Watterly,  who 
was  meek  only  in  the  presence  of  his  wife,  "  I'd  just  as 
lief  speak  against  her  as  wink  if  there  was  anything  to 
say.  But  I  say  now,  as  I  said  to  you  at  first,  she  aint 
one  of  the  common  sort.  I  thought  well  of  her  at  first, 
and  I  think  better  of  her  now  since  she's  doing  so  well 
by  you.  But  I  suppose  marrying  a  woman  situated  as 
she  was  isn't  according  to  regulation.  We  men  are  apt 
to  act  like  the  boys  we  used  to  be  and  go  for  what  we 
want  without  thinking  of  the  consequences." 

"  It's  the  consequences  that  please  me  most.  If  you 
had  been  dependent  on  Mumpsons,  Malonys,  and  Wig- 
ginses  for  your  home  comfort  you  wouldn't  woiry  about 
the  talk  of  people  who'd  never  raise  a  finger  for  you. 
Well,  good-by,  I'm  in  a  hurry.  Your  heart's  in  the  right 
place,  Tom,  and  some  day  you'll  come  out  and  take  din- 
ner with  me.  One  dinner,  such  as  she'll  give  you,  will 
bring  you  round.  One  of  our  steady  dishes  is  a  bunch 
of  flowers  and  I  enjoy  'em,  too.  What  do  you  think  of 
that  for  a  hard-headed  old  fellow  like  me,?  " 

Some  men  are  chilled  by  public  disapproval  and  waver 
under  it,  but  Holcroft  was  thereby  only  the  more  strongly 
confirmed  in  his  course.  Alida  had  won  his  esteem  as 
well  as  his  good  will,  and  it  was  the  instinct  of  his  man- 
hood to  protect  and  champion  her.  He  bought  twice  as 
many  flowers  and  seeds  as  she  had  asked  for,  and  also 
selected  two  simple  flower  vases  ;  then  started  on  his 
return  with  the  feeling  that  he  had  a  home. 

Alida   entered   upon   her  duties  to  the  poultry  with 


A    CHARIVARI.  257 

almost  the  pleasure  of  a  child.  She  first  fed  them,  then 
explored  every  accessible  nook  and  hiding  place  in  the 
barn  and  outbuildings.  It  was  evident  that  many  of  the 
biddies  had  stolen  their  nests,  and  some  were  brooding 
upon  them  with  no  disposition  to  be  disturbed.  Out  of 
the  hundred  or  more  fowls  on  the  place,  a  good  many 
were  clucking  their  maternal  instincts,  and  their  new 
keeper  resolved  to  put  eggs  under  all  except  the 
flighty  ones  that  left  their  nests  within  two  or  three 
days'  trial.  As  the  result  of  her  search,  the  empty  egg 
basket  was  in  a  fair  way  to  be  full  again  very  soon.  She 
gloated  over  her  spoils  as  she  smilingly  assured  herself, 
**  I  shall  take  him  at  his  word.  I  shall  spend  nearly  all  I 
make  this  year  in  fixing  up  the  old  house  within  anc' 
without,  so  he'll  scarcely  know  it." 

It  was  eleven  o'clock  before  Holcroft  drove  tothedooi 
with  the  flowers,  and  he  was  amply  repaid  by  her  pleas- 
ure in  receiving  them.  "  Why,  I  only  expected  gerani- 
ums," she  said,  "  and  you've  bought  half  a  dozen  other 
kinds." 

"  And  I  expected  to  get  my  own  coffee  this  morning 
and  a  good  breakfast  was  given  me  instead,  so  we  are 
quits." 

"  You're  probably  ready  for  your  dinner  now,  if  it  is  an 
hour  earlier  than  usual.     It  will  be  ready  in  ten  minutes." 

"  Famous  !  That  will  give  me  a  good  long  afternoon. 
I  say,  Alida,  when  do  you  want  the  flower-beds  made.^  " 

"  No  hurry  about  them.  I  shall  keep  the  plants  in  the 
window  for  a  week  or  two.  It  isn't  safe  to  put  them 
outdoors  before  the  last  of  May.  I'll  have  some  slips 
ready  by  that  time." 

"  Yes,  I  know.  You'll  soon  have  enough  to  set  out  an 
acre." 


258     HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

The  days  of  another  week  passed  quietly  and  rapidly 
away,  AHda  becoming  almost  as  much  absorbed  in  her 
interests  as  he  in  his.  Every  hour  added  to  the  beauty 
of  the  season  without.  The  unplowed  fields  were  taking 
on  a  vivid  green,  and  Holcroft  said  that  on  the  following 
Monday  the  cows  should  go  out  to  pasture.  Wholesome, 
agreeable  occupation  enabled  Alida  to  put  away  sad 
thoughts  and  memories.  Nature  and  pleasant  work  are 
two  potent  healers,  and  she  was  rallying  fast  under  their 
ministry.  Holcroft  would  have  been  blind  indeed  had 
he  not  observed  changes  for  the  better.  Her  thin  cheeks 
were  becoming  fuller,  and  her  exertions,  with  the  increas- 
ing warmth  of  the  season,  often  flushed  her  face  with  a 
charming  color.  The  old  sad  and  troubled  expression 
was  passing  away  from  her  blue  eyes.  Every  day  it 
seemed  easier  for  her  to  laugh,  and  her  step  grew  more 
elastic.  It  was  all  so  gradual  that  he  never  questioned 
it,  but  his  eyes  followed  her  with  increasing  pleasure  and 
he  listened,  when  she  spoke,  with  deepening  interest. 
Sundays  had  been  long  and  rather  dreary  days,  but  now 
he  positively  welcomed  their  coming  and  looked  forward 
to  the  hours  when,  instead  of  brooding  over  the  past,  he 
should  listen  to  her  pleasant  voice  reading  his  few  and 
neglected  books.  There  was  a  new  atmosphere  in  his 
home — a  new  influence,  under  which  his  mind  was 
awakening  in  spite  of  his  weariness  and  absorption  in  the 
interests  of  the  farm.  Alida  was  always  ready  to  talk 
about  these,  and  her  questions  would  soon  enable  her  to 
talk  understandingly.  She  displayed  ignorance  enough, 
and  this  amused  him,  but  her  queries  evinced  no  stupid- 
ity. In  reading  to  her  father  and  in  the  cultivation  of 
flowers,  she  had  obtained  hints  of  vital  horticultural 
principles,  and  Holcroft  said  to  her  laughingly  one  even- 


A    CHARIVARI.  259 

ing  at  supper,  "  You'll  soon  learn  all  I  know  and  begin 
to  teach  me." 

Her  manner  of  deprecating  such  remarks  was  to  exag- 
gerate them  and  she  replied,  "  Yes,  next  week  you  will 
sell  my  eggs  and  I  shall  subscribe  for  the  agricultural 
paper  my  father  used  to  take.  Then  will  begin  all  the 
improvements  of  book-farming.  I  shall  advise  you  to 
sow  oats  in  June,  plant  corn  in  March,  and  show  you 
generally  that  all  your  experience  counts  for  nothing." 

This  kind  of  badinage  was  new  to  the  farmer,  and  it 
amused  him  immensely.  He  did  not  grow  sleepy  so 
early  in  the  evening,  and  as  he  was  driving  his  work 
prosperously  he  shortened  his  hours  of  labor  slightly. 
She  also  found  time  to  read  the  county  paper  and  gossip 
a  little  about  the  news,  thus  making  a  beginning  in  put- 
ting him  and  herself  en  rapport  with  other  interests 
than  those  which  centered  in  the  farm.  In  brief,  she  had 
an  active,  intelligent  mind  and  a  companionable  nature. 
Her  boundless  gratitude  for  her  home,  which  daily  grew 
more  homelike,  led  her  to  employ  all  her  tact  in  adding 
to  his  enjoyment.  Yet  so  fine  was  her  tact  that  her  man- 
ner was  a  simple  embodiment  of  good  will,  and  he  was 
made  to  feel  that  it  was  nothing  more, 

While  all  was  passing  so  genially  and  satisfactorily  to 
Holcroft,  it  may  well  be  supposed  that  his  conduct  was 
not  at  all  to  the  mind  of  his  neighbors.  News,  especially 
during  the  busy  spring  season,  permeates  a  country  neigh- 
borhood slowly.  The  fact  of  his  marriage  had  soon  be- 
come known,  and  eventually,  through  Justice  Harkins,  the 
circumstances  relating  to  it  and  something  of  Alida's 
previous  history,  in  a  garbled  form,  came  to  be  discussed 
at  rural  firesides.  The  majority  of  the  men  laughed  and 
shrugged  their  shoulders,  implying  it  was  none  of  their 


26o     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

business,  but  not  a  few,  among  whom  was  Lemuel 
Weeks,  held  up  their  hands  and  spoke  of  the  event  in 
terms  of  the  severest  reprehension.  Many  of  the  farm- 
ers' wives  and  their  maiden  sisters  were  quite  as  much 
scandaHzed  as  Mrs.  Watterly  had  been  that  an  unknown 
woman,  of  whom  strange  stories  were  told,  should  have 
been  brought  into  the  community  from  the  poorhouse,. 
"  and  after  such  a  heathenish  marriage,  too,"  they  said. 
It  was  irregular,  unprecedented,  and  therefore  utterly 
wrong  and  subversive  of  the  morals  of  the  town.  They 
longed  to  ostracise  poor  Alida,  yet  saw  no  chance  of 
doing  so.  They  could  only  talk,  and  talk  they  did,  in  a 
way  that  would  have  made  her  ears  tingle  had  she  heard. 

The  young  men  and  older  boys,  however,  believed  that 
they  could  do  more  than  talk.  Timothy  Weeks  had  said 
to  a  group  of  his  familiars,  "  Let's  give  old  Holcroft  and 
his  poorhouse  bride  a  skimelton  that  will  let  'em  know 
what  folks  think  of  'em." 

The  scheme  found  favor  at  once,  and  Tim  Weeks  was 
soon  recognized  as  organizer  and  leader  of  the  peculiar 
style  of  serenade  contemplated.  After  his  day's  work 
was  over,  he  rode  here  and  there  summoning  congenial 
spirits.  The  project  soon  became  pretty  well  known  in 
several  families,  but  the  elder  members  remained  dis- 
creetly blind  and  deaf,  proposing  to  wink  at  what  was 
going  on,  yet  take  no  compromising  part  themselves. 
Lemuel  Weeks  winked  very  knowingly  and  suggestively. 
He  kept  within  such  bounds,  however,  as  would  enable 
him  to  swear  that  he  knew  nothing  and  had  said  noth- 
ing, but  his  son  had  never  felt  more  assured  of  his 
father's  sympathy.  When  at  last  the  motley  gathering 
rendezvoused  at  Tim's  house,  Weeks,  senior,  was  con- 
veniently making  a  call  on  a  near  neighbor. 


A    CHARIVARI.  26 1 

It  was  Saturday  evening,  and  the  young  May  moon 
would  furnish  sufficient  Hght  without  revealing  identity 
too  clearly.  About  a  score  of  young  fellows  and  hired 
farm-hands  of  the  ruder  sort  came  riding  and  trudging  to 
Weeks'  barn,  where  there  was  a  barrel  of  cider  on  tap. 
Here  they  blackened  their  faces  with  charcoal  and  stimu- 
lated their  courage,  for  it  was  well  known  that  Holcroft 
was  anything  but  lamblike  when  angered. 

"  He'll  be  like  a  bull  in  a  china  shop,"  remarked  Tim, 
"  but  then  there's  enough  of  us  to  handle  him  if  he  gets 
too  obstrep'rous." 

Armed  with  tin  pans  and  horns  which  were  to  furnish 
the  accompaniment  to  their  discordant  voices,  they 
started  about  eight  in  the  evening.  As  they  moved  up 
the  road  there  was  a  good  deal  of  coarse  jesting  and 
bravado,  but  when  they  approached  the  farmhouse  silence 
was  enjoined.  After  passing  up  the  lane  they  looked 
rather  nervously  at  the  quiet  dwelling  softly  outlined  in 
the  moonlight.  A  lamp  illumined  the  kitchen  window, 
and  Tim  Weeks  whispered  excitedly,  "  He's  there.  Let's 
first  peek  in  the  window  and  then  give  'em  a  scorcher." 

Knowing  that  they  should  have  the  coming  day  in 
which  to  rest,  Holcroft  and  Alida  had  busied  themselves 
with  outdoor  matters  until  late.  She  had  been  planning 
her  flower-beds,  cutting  out  the  dead  wood  from  some 
neglected  rosebushes  and  shrubbery,  and  had  also  helped 
her  husband  by  sowing  seed  in  the  kitchen  garden  back 
of  the  house.  Then,  weary,  yet  pleased  with  the  labor 
accomplished,  they  made  a  very  leisurely  supper,  talking 
over  garden  matters  and  farm  prospects  in  general. 
Alida  had  all  her  flower  seeds  on  the  table  beside  her,  and 
she  gloated  over  them  and  expatiated  on  the  kind  of 
blossoms  they  would  produce  with  so  much   zest  that 


262      HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

Holcroft  laughingly  remarked,  "  I  never  thought  that 
flowers  would  be  one  of  the  most  important  crops  on  the 
place." 

"  You  will  think  so  some  day.  I  can  see,  from  the  ex- 
pression of  your  eyes,  that  the  cherry  blossoms  and  now 
the  apple  blows  which  I  put  on  the  table  please  you 
almost  as  much  as  the  fruit  would." 

"  Well,  it's  because  I  notice  'em.  I  never  seemed  to 
notice  'em  much  before." 

"  Oh,  no  !  it's  more  than  that,"  she  replied,  shaking  her 
head.  "  Some  people  would  notice  them,  yet  never  see 
how  pretty  they  were." 

"  Then  they'd  be  blind  as  moles." 

'*  The  worst  kind  of  blindness  is  that  of  the  mind." 

"  Well,  I  think  many  country  people  are  as  stupid  and 
blind  as  oxen,  and  I  was  one  of  'em.  I've  seen  more 
cherry  and  apple  blossoms  this  year  than  in  all  my  life 
before,  and  I  haven't  thought  only  of  cherries  and  apples 
either." 

"  The  habit  of  seeing  what  is  pretty  grows  on  one,"  she 
resumed.  "  It  seems  to  me  that  flowers  and  such  things 
feed  mind  and  heart.  So  if  one  has  mind  and  heart, 
flowers  become  one  of  the  most  useful  crops.  Isn't  that 
practical  common  sense  }  " 

"Not  very  common  in  Oakville.  I'm  glad  you  think 
I'm  in  a  hopeful  frame  of  mind,  as  they  used  to  say  dowi> 
at  the  meeting  house.  Anyhow,  since  you  wish  it,  we 
will  have  a  flower  crop  as  well  as  a  potato  crop." 

Thus  they  continued  chatting  while  Alida  cleared  up 
the  table,  and  Holcroft,  having  lighted  his  pipe,  busied 
himself  with  peeling  a  long,  slim  hickory  sapling  intended 
for  a  whipstock. 

Having  finished  her  tasks,  Alida  was  finally  drying  her 


A    CHARIVARI.  263 

fiands  on  a  towel  that  hung  near  a  wnulow.  Suddenly, 
she  caught  sight  of  a  dark  face  peering  in.  Her  startled 
cry  brought  Holcroft  hastily  to  his  feet.  "  What's  the 
matter  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I    saw "     Then  she  hesitated  from  a  fear  that 

he  would  rush  into  some  unknown  danger. 

The  rough  crew  without  perceived  that  their  presence 
was  known,  and  Tim  Weeks  cried,  "  Now,  all  together  !  " 

A  frightful  overture  began  at  once,  the  hooting  and 
yelling  almost  drowning  the  instrumental  part  and  send- 
ing to  Alida's  heart  that  awful  chill  of  fear  produced  by 
human  voices  in  any  mob-like  assemblage.  Holcroft 
understood  the  affair  at  once,  for  he  was  familiar  with  the 
custom,  but  she  did  not.  He  threw  open  the  door  with 
the  purpose  of  sternly  expostulating  with  the  disturbers 
of  the  peace  and  of  threatening  them  with  the  law  unless 
they  retired.  With  an  instinct  to  share  his  danger  she 
stepped  to  his  side,  and  this  brought  a  yell  of  derision. 
Lurid  thoughts  swept  through  her  mind.  She  had 
brought  this  danger.  Her  story  had  become  known. 
What  might  they  not  do  to  Holcroft  ?  Under  the  impulse 
of  vague  terror  and  complete  self-sacrifice,  she  stepped 
forward  and  cried,  "  I  only  am  to  blame.     I  will  go  away 

iorever  if  you  will  spare "    But  again  the  scornful 

clamor  rose  and  drowned  her  voice. 

Her  action  and  words  had  been  so  swift  that  Holcroft 
could  not  interfere,  but  in  an  instant  he  was  at  her  side, 
4iis  arm  around  her,  his  square  jaw  set,  and  his  eyes 
blazing  with  his  kindling  anger.  He  was  not  one  of  those 
men  who  fume  early  under  provocation  and  in  words 
chiefly.  His  manner  and  gesture  were  so  impressive  that 
his  tormentors  paused  to  listen. 

"  I  know,"  he  said  quietly,  "  all  about  this  old,  rude 


264     HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

custom — that  it's  often  little  more  than  a  rough  lark. 
Well,  now  that  you've  had  it,  leave  at  once.  I'm  in  no 
mood  for  such  attention  from  my  neighbors.  This  is  my 
wife,  and  I'll  oreak  any  man's  head  who  says  a  word  to 
hurt  her  feelings " 

"  Oh,  yes  I  take  care  of  her  feelings,  now  it's  your  turn. 
Thfv  must  'a'  been  hurt  before,"  piped  up  Tim  Weeks. 

"  Good  for  you,  old  man,  for  showin'  us  your  poorhouse 
bride,"  said  another. 

*'  We  don't  fancy  such  grass-widders,  and  much  mar- 
ried, half-married  women  in  Oakville,"  yelled  a  third. 

"  Wliy  didn't  yer  jump  over  a  broomstick  for  a  weddin* 
ceremony  .'*  "  someone  else  bawled. 

These  insults  were  fired  almost  in  a  volley.  Alida  felt 
Hokroft's  arm  grow  rigid  for  a  second.  "  Go  in,  quick  ! '" 
he  said.  Tlien  she  saw  him  seize  the  hickory  sapling  he 
had  Ir.inrd  rigainst  the  house,  and  burst  upon  the  group 
likt-  a  tliuiiderholt.  Cries  of  pain,  yells,  and  oaths  of  rage 
rose  ahove  ihr  rain  of  blows.  The  older  members  of  the 
crew  soiiuhi  to  close  upon  him,  but  he  sprung  back,  and 
the  tou.i^h  sa|)ling  swept  about  him  like  a  circle  of  light. 
It  was  a  terrific  weapon  in  the  hands  of  a  strong  man, 
now  possessed  of  almost  giant  strength  in  his  rage.  More 
than  one  fellow  went  down  under  its  stinging  cut,  and 
heads  and  faces  were  bleeding.  The  younger  portion  of 
the  crowd  sneedily  took  to  their  heels,  and  soon  even  the 
most  stul)born  fled  ;  the  farmer  vigorously  assisting  their 
ignominious  retreat  with  tremendous  downward  blows  on. 
any  \\  iihin  reach.  Tim  Weeks  had  managed  to  keep  out 
of  the  way  till  they  entered  the  lane  ;  then,  taking  a  small 
stone  from  the  fence,  he  hurled  it  at  their  pursuer  and 
attempted  to  jump  over  the  wall.  This  was  old,  and  gave 
way  under  him  in  such  a  way  that  he  fell  on   the  other 


A    CHARIVARI.  265 

side.  Holcroft  leaped  the  fence  with  a  bound,  but  Tim, 
lying  on  his  back,  shrieked  and  held  up  his  hands. 
*'  You  won't  hit  a  feller  when  he's  down  !  " 

**  No,"  said  Holcroft,  arresting  his  hickory.  "  I'll  send 
you  to  jail,  Tim  Weeks.  That  stone  you  fired  cut  my 
head.     Was  your  father  in  that  crowd  ?  " 

"  N-o-o  !  "  blubbered  Tim. 

"  If  he  was,  I'd  follow  him  home  and  whip  him  in  his 
own  house.  Now,  clear  out,  and  tell  the  rest  of  your 
rowdy  crew  that  I'll  shoot  the  first  oneof  you  that  disturbs 
me  again.  I'll  send  the  constable  for  you,  and  maybe  for 
some  of  the  others." 

Dire  was  the  dismay,  and  dreadful  the  groaning  in 
Oakville  that  night.  Never  before  had  salves  and 
poultices  been  in  such  demand.  Not  a  few  would  be 
disfigured  for  weeks,  and  wherever  Holcroft's  blows  had 
fallen  welts  arose  like  whipcords.  In  Lemuel  Weeks' 
dwelling  the  consternation  reached  its  climax.  Tim, 
bruised  from  his  fall,  limped  in  and  told  his  portentous 
story.  In  his  spite,  he  added,  "  I  don't  care,  I  hit  him 
hard.     His  face  was  all  bloody." 

"  All  bloody  !  "  groaned  his  father.  "  Lord  'a  mercy  ! 
He  can  send  you  to  jail,  sure  enough  !  " 

Then  Mrs.  Weelis  sat  down  and  wailed  aloud. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

"  YOU    DON'T    KNOW." 

As  Timothy  Weeks  limped  hastily  away,  Holcroft, 
with  a  strong  revulsion  of  feeling,  thought  of  Alicia.  He 
had  been  able  to  answer  insults  in  a  way  eminently  satis- 
factory to  himself,  and  every  blow  had  relieved  his  elec- 
trical condition.  But  how  about  the  poor  woman  who 
had  received  worse  blows  than  he  had  inflicted  ?  As  he 
hastened  toward  the  house  he  recalled  a  dim  impression 
of  seeing  her  sink  down  on  the  doorstep.  Then  he 
remembered  her  effort  to  face  the  marauders  alone. 
"  She  said  she  was  to  blame,  poor  child  !  as  if  there  were 
any  blame  at  all !  She  said,  '  spare  him,'  as  if  I  was 
facing  a  band  of  murderers  instead  of  a  lot  of  neighbor- 
hood scamps,  and  that  she'd  go  away.  I'd  fight  all  Oak- 
ville — men,  women,  and  children — before  I'd  permit 
that,"   and   he   started   on   a   run. 

He  found  Alida  on  the  step,  where  she  had  sunk  as  if 
struck  down  by  the  rough  epithets  hurled  at  her.  She 
was  sobbing  violently,  almost  hysterically,  and  at  first 
could  not  reply  to  his  soothing  words.  He  lifted  her  up, 
and  half  carried  her  within  to  a  chair.  "  Oh,  oh,"  she 
cried,  "  why  did  I  not  realize  it  more  fully  before  }  Selfish 
woman  that  I  was,  to  marry  you  and  bring  on  you  all 
this  shame  and  danger.  I  should  have  thought  of  it  all. 
I  ought  to  have  died  rather  than  do  you  such  a  wrong." 


''YOU  DON'T  KNOW."  2^*^ 

"  Alida,  Alida,"  protested  Holcroft,  "  if  it  were  all  to  do 
over  again  I'd  be  a  thousand  times  more " 

"  Oh,  I  know,  I  know !  You  are  brave  and  generous 
and  honest.  I  saw  that  much  when  you  first  spoke  to 
me.  I  yielded  to  the  temptation  to  secure  such  a  friend. 
I  was  too  cowardly  to  face  the  world  alone.  And  now 
see  what's  happened  !  You're  in  danger  and  disgrace  on 
my  account.  I  must  go  away — I  must  do  what  I  should 
have  done  at  first,"  and  with  her  face  buried  in  her  hands 
she  rocked  back  and  forth,  overwhelmed  by  the  bitterness 
and  reproach  of  her  thoughts. 

"  Alida,"  he  urged,  "  please  be  calm  and  sensible. 
Let  me  reason  with  you  and  tell  you  the  truth.  All  that's 
happened  is  that  the  Oakville  cubs  have  received  a  well- 
deserved  whipping.  When  you  get  calm,  I  can  explain 
everything  so  it  won't  seem  half  so  bad.  Neither  you 
nor  I  are  in  any  danger,  and  as  for  your  going  away,  look 
me  in  the  eyes  and  listen." 

His  words  were  almost  stern  in  their  earnestness.  She 
raised  her  streaming  eyes  to  his  face,  then  sprung  up, 
exclaiming,  "  Oh  !  you're  wounded  !  " 

"  What's  that,  compared  with  your  talk  of  going  away?  ' 

All  explanations  and  reassurances  would  have  been 
trivial  in  effect,  compared  with  the  truth  that  he  had  been 
hurt  in  her  defense.  She  dashed  her  tears  right  and  left, 
ran  for  a  basin  of  water,  and  making  him  take  her  chair, 
began  washing  away  the  blood  stains. 

"  Thunder  !  "  he  said,  laughing,  "  how  quickly  we've 
changed  places  ! " 

"Oh,  oh!"  she  moaned,  "  it's  a  terrible  wound;  it 
might  have  killed  you,  and  they  will  kill  you  yet." 

He  took  her  hands  and  held  them  firmly.  "  Alida,"  he 
said,  gravely  yet  kindly,  "  be  still  and  listen  to  me." 


2  68     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

For  a  moment  or  two  longer  her  bosom  heaved  with 
convulsive  sobs,  and  then  she  grew  quiet.  "  Don't  you 
know  you  can't  go  away  ?  "  he  asked,  still  retaining  her 
hands  and  looking  in  her  face. 

"  I  could  for  your  sake,"  she  began. 

*'  No,  it  wouldn't  be  for  my  sake.  I  don't  wish  you  to 
go,  and  wouldn't  let  you.  If  you  should  let  the  Oakville 
rabble  drive  you  away  I  ivoiild  be  in  danger,  and  so 
would  others,  for  I'd  be  worse  on  'em  than  an  earth- 
quake. After  the  lesson  they've  had  to-night,  they'll 
let  us  alone,  and  I'll  let  them  alone.  You  know  I've 
tried  to  be  honest  with  you  from  the  first.  Believe 
me,  then,  the  trouble's  over,  unless  we  make  more 
for  ourselves.  Now,  promise  you'll  do  as  I  say  and  let 
me  manage." 

"  I'll  try,"  she  breathed-softly. 

"No,  no!  that  won't  do.  I'm  beginning  to  find  you 
out.  You  may  get  some  foolish,  self-sacrificing  notion  in 
your  head  that  it  would  be  best  for  me,  when  it  would  be 
my  ruination.     Will  you  promise  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Famous  !  Now  you  can  bathe  my  head  all  you 
please,  for  it  feels  a  little  queer." 

"  It's  an  awful  wound,"  she  said  in  tones  of  the  deepest 
sympathy.     "  Oh,  I'm  so  sorry  I  " 

"  Pshaw!  my  head  is  too  hard  for  that  little  scamp  of  a 
Weeks  to  break.     His  turn  '11  come  next." 

She  cut  away  the  blood-clotted  hair  and  bound  up  the 
rather  severe  scalp  wound  with  a  tenderness  and  sympathy 
that  expressed  itself  even  in  her  touch.  She  was  too 
confused  and  excited  to  be  conscious  of  herself,  but  she 
had  received  some  tremendously  strong  impressions. 
Chief  amontr  them  was  the  truth  that  nothinsr  which  had 


''YOU  DON'T  KNOWr  269 

happened  made  any  difference  in  him — that  he  was  still 
the  same  loyal  friend,  standing  between  her  and  the 
world  she  dreaded — yes,  between  her  and  her  own 
impulses  toward  self-sacrifice.  Sweetest  of  all  was  the 
assurance  that  he  did  this  for  his  own  sake  as  well  as  hers. 
These  facts  seemed  like  a  foothold  in  the  mad  torrent  of 
feeling  and  shame  which  had  been  sweeping  her  away. 
She  could  think  of  little  more  than  that  she  was  safe — safe 
because  he  was  brave  and  loyal — and  yes,  safe  because  he 
wanted  her  and  would  not  give  her  up.  The  heart  of  a 
woman  must  be  callous  indeed,  and  her  nature  not  only 
trivial  but  stony,  if  she  is  not  deeply  touched  under  cir- 
cumstances like  these. 

In  spite  of  his  laughing  contempt  of  danger,  she 
trembled  as  she  saw  him  ready  to  go  out  again  ;  she 
wished  to  accompany  him  on  his  round  of  observation, 
but  he  scouted  the  idea,  although  it  pleased  him.  Stand- 
ing in  the  door,  she  strained  her  eyes  and  listened  breath- 
lessly. He  soon  returned  and  said,  "  They've  all  had 
enough.     We  won't  be  disturbed  again." 

He  saw  that  her  nerves  needed  quieting,  and  he  set 
about  the  task  with  such  simple  tact  as  he  possessed. 
His  first  step  was  to  light  his  pipe  in  the  most  nonchalant 
manner,  and  then  he  burst  out  laughing.  "  I'll  hang  that 
hickory  up.  It  has  done  too  good  service  to  be  put  to 
common  use  again.  Probably  you  never  heard  of  a 
skimelton,  Alida.  Well,  they  are  not  so  uncommon  in 
this  region.  I  suppose  I'll  have  to  own  up  to  taking  part 
in  one  myself  when  I  was  a  young  chap.  They  usually 
are  only  rough  larks  and  are  taken  good-naturedly.  I'm 
not  on  jesting  terms  with  my  neighbors,  and  they  had  no 
business  to  come  here,  but  I  wouldn't  have  made  any  row 
if  they  hadn't  insulted  you." 


2  7°     HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE. 

Her  head  bowed  very  low  as  she  faltered,  "  They've 
heard  everything." 

He  came  right  to  her  and  took  her  hand.  "  Didn't  I 
hear  eveiything  before  they  did  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  Alida,  I'm  not  only  satisfied  with  you,  but  I'm 
very  grateful  to  you.  Why  shouldn't  I  be  when  you  are 
a  good  Christian  woman  }  I  guess  I'm  the  one  to  be 
suited,  not  Oakville.  I  should  be  as  reckless  as  the  devil 
if  you  should  go  away  from  me.  Don't  I  act  like  a  man 
who's  ready  to  stand  up  for  and  protect  you  }  " 

"  Yes,  too  ready.  It  would  kill  me  if  anything  hap- 
pened to  you  on  my  account." 

"  Well,  the  worst  would  happen,"  he  said  firmly,  "  if 
we  don't  go  right  on  as  we've  begun.  If  we  go  quietly  on 
about  our  own  affairs,  we'll  soon  be  let  alone  and  that's 
all  we  ask." 

"  Yes,  yes  indeed  !  Don't  worry,  James.  I'll  do  as  you 
wish." 

"Famous!  You  never  saivl  'James'  to  me  before. 
Why  haven't  you  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  she  faltered,  with  a  sudden  rush  of 
color  to  her  pale  face. 

"Well,  that's  my  name,"  he  resumed,  laughing.  "I 
guess  it's  because  we  are  getting  better  acquainted." 

She  looked  up  and  said  impetuously,  "  You  don't  know 
how  a  woman  feels  when  a  man  stands  up  for  her  as  you 
did  to-night." 

"  Well,  I  know  how  a  man  feels  when  there  is  a  woman 
so  well  worth  standing  up  for.  It  was  a  lucky  thing  that 
I  had  nothing  heavier  in  my  hand  than  that  hickory." 
All  the  while  he  was  looking  at  her  curiously  ;  then  he 
spoke  his  thought.     "  You're  a  quiet  little  woman,  Alida, 


"VOW  DON'T  KJVOIV:'  27 1 

most  times,  but  you're  capable  of  a  thunder  gust  now  and 
then." 

"I'll  try  to  be  quiet  at  all  times,"  she  replied,  with 
drooping  eyes. 

"  Oh,  I'm  not  complaining ! "  he  said,  laughing.  "  I  like 
the  trait." 

He  took  a  small  pitcher  and  went  to  the  dairy. 
Returning,  he  poured  out  two  glasses  of  milk  and  said, 
"  Here's  to  your  health  and  happiness,  Alida  ;  and  when 
I  don't  stand  up  for  the  woman  who  started  out  to  save 
me  from  a  mob  of  murderers,  may  the  next  thing  I  eat 
or  drink  choke  me.  You  didn't  know  they  were  merely 
a  lot  of  Oakville  boys,  did  you  ?  " 

"  You  can't  make  so  light  of  it,"  said  she.  "  They  tried 
to  close  on  you,  and  if  that  stone  had  struck  you  on  the 
temple,  it  might  have  killed  you.  They  swore  like 
pirates,  and  looked  like  ruffians  with  their  blackened 
faces.     They  certainly  were  not  boys  in  appearance." 

"  I'm  afraid  I  swore  too,"  he  said  sadly. 

"You  had  some  excuse,  but  I'm  sorry.  They  would 
have  hurt  you  if  you  hadn't  kept  them  off." 

"  Yes,  they'd  probably  have  given  me  a  beating.  People 
do  things  in  hot  blood  they  wish  they  hadn't  afterward.  I 
know  this  Oakville  rough-scuff.  Since  we've  had  it  out, 
and  they  know  what  to  expect,  they'll  give  me  a  wide  berth. 
Now  go  and  sleep.     You  were  never  safer  in  your  life." 

She  did  not  trust  herself  to  reply,  but  the  glance  she 
gave  him  from  her  tearful  eyes  was  so  eloquent  with 
grateful  feeling  that  he  was  suddenly  conscious  of  some 
unwonted  sensations.  He  again  patrolled  the  place  and 
tied  the  dog  near  the  barn. 

"  It's  barely  possible  that  some  of  these  mean  cusses 
might  venture  to  kindle  a  fire,  but  a  bark  from  Towser 


272      HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

will  warn  'em  off.  She  is  a  spirited  little  woman,"  he 
added,  with  a  sharp  change  in  soliloquy.  "  There's  noth- 
ing milk-and-water  about  her.  Thunder!  I  felt  like  kiss- 
ing her  when  she  looked  at  me  so.  I  guess  that  crack  on 
my  skull  has  made  me  a  little  light-headed." 

He  lay  down  in  his  clothes  so  that  he  might  rush  out 
in  case  of  any  alarm,  and  he  intended  to  keep  awake. 
Then,  the  first  thing  he  knew,  the  sun  was  shining  in  the 
windows. 

It  was  long  before  Alida  slept,  and  the  burden  of  her 
thoughts  confirmed  the  words  that  she  had  spoken  so 
involuntarily.  "  You  don't  know  how  a  woman  feels 
when  a  man  stands  up  for  her  as  you  did."  It  is  the 
nature  of  her  sex  to  adore  hardy,  courageous  manhood. 
Beyond  all  power  of  expression,  Alida  felt  her  need  of  a 
champion  and  protector.  She  was  capable  of  going 
away  for  his  sake,  but  .she  would  go  in  terror  and 
despair.  The  words  that  had  smitten  her  confirmed  all 
her  old  fears  of  facing  the  world  alone.  Then  came  tb.e 
overpowering  thought  of  his  loyalty  and  kindness,  of  his 
utter  and  almost  fierce  repugnance  to  the  idea  of  her 
leaving  him.  In  contrast  with  the  man  who  had  deceived 
and  wronged  her,  Holcroft's  course  overwhelmed  her  very 
soul  with  a  passion  of  grateful  affection.  A  new  emo- 
tion, unlike  anything  she  had  ever  known,  thrilled  her 
heart  and  covered  her  face  with  blushes.  "  I  could  die 
for  him  !  "  she  murmured. 

She  awoke  late  in  the  morning.  When  at  last  she 
entered  the  kitchen  she  stopped  in  deep  chagrin,  for  Hol- 
croft  had  almost  completed  preparations  for  breakfast. 
*'  Ha,  ha  ! "  he  laughed,  "  turn  about  is  fair  play." 

"  Well,"  she  sighed,  "there's  no  use  of  making  excuses 
now." 


''YOU  DON'T  KNOWr  273 

"  There's  no  occasion  for  any.  Did  you  ever  see  such 
a  looking  case  as  I  am  with  this  bandage  around  my 
head  ?" 

"  Does  it  pain  you  ?  "  she  asked  sympathetically. 

"  Well,  it  does.     It  pains  like  thunder." 

"  The  wound  needs  dressing  again.  Let  me  cleanse 
and  bind  it  up." 

"  Yes,  after  breakfast." 

"  No,  indeed  ;  now.  I  couldn't  eat  my  breakfast  while 
you  were  suffering  so." 

"  I'm  more  unfeeling  then  than  you  are,  for  I  could." 

She  insisted  on  having  her  way,  and  then  tore  up  her 
handkerchief  to  supply  a  soft  linen  bandage. 

"You're  extravagant,  Alida,"  but  she  only  shook  her 
head. 

"  Famous !  That  feels  better.  What  a  touch  you 
have  !  Now,  if  you  had  a  broken  head,  my  fingers  would 
be  like  a  pair  of  tongs." 

She  only  shook  her  head  and  smiled. 

"  You're  as  bad  as  Jane  used  to  be.  She  never  said  a 
word  when  she  could  shake  or  nod  her  meaning." 

"  I  should  think  you  would  be  glad,  after  having  been 
half  talked  to  death  by  her  mother." 

'*  As  I  said  before,  take  your  own  way  of  doing  things. 
It  seems  the  right  way  after  it  is  done." 

A  faint  color  came  into  her  face,  and  she  looked  posi- 
tively happy  as  she  sat  down  to  breakfast.  "  Are  you 
sure  your  head  feels  better?  "  she  asked. 

"  Yes,  and  you  look  a  hundred  per  cent,  better.  Well, 
I  am  glad  you  had  such  a  good  sleep  after  all  the 
hubbub." 

"  I  didn't  sleep  till  toward  morning,"  she  said,  with 
downcast  eyes. 


2  74     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  Pshaw  !  that's  too  bad.  Well,  no  matter,  you  look 
like  a  different  person  from  what  you  did  when  I  first 
saw  you.     You've  been  growing  younger  every  day." 

Her  face  flushed  like  a  girl's  under  his  direct,  admiring 
gaze,  making  her  all  the  more  pretty.  She  hastened  to 
divert  direct  attention  from  herself  by  asking,  "  You 
haven't  heard  from  anyone  this  morning  }  " 

"  No,  but  I  guess  the  doctor  has.  Some  of  those  fel- 
lows will  have  to  keep  shady  for  a  while." 

As  they  were  finishing  breakfast,  Holcroft  looked  out 
of  the  open  kitchen  door  and  exclaimed,  "By  thunder! 
we're  going  to  hear  from  some  of  them  now.  Here 
comes  Mrs.  Weeks,  the  mother  of  the  fellow  who  hit  me." 

"  Won't  you  please  receive  her  in  the  parlor.'*" 

"  Yes,  she  won't  stay  long,  you  may  be  sure.  I'm 
going  to  give  that  Weeks  tribe  one  lesson  and  pay  off  the 
whole  score." 

He  merely  bowed  coldly  to  Mrs.  Weeks'  salutation  and 
offered  her  a  chair.  The  poor  woman  took  out  her  hand- 
kerchief and  began  to  mop  her  eyes,  but  Holcroft  was 
steeled  against  her,  not  so  much  on  account  of  the  wound 
inflicted  by  her  son  as  for  the  reason  that  he  saw  in  her 
an  accomplice  with  her  husband  in  the  fraud  of  Mrs. 
Mumpson. 

"  I  hope  you're  not  badly  hurt,"  she  began. 

"  It  might  be  worse." 

"Oh,  Mr.  Holcroft!"  she  broke  out  sobbingly,  "spare 
my  son.     It  would  kill  me  if  you  sent  him  to  prison." 

"  He  took  the  chance  of  killing  me  last  night,"  was  the 
cold  reply.     "  What's  far  worse,  he  insulted  my  wife." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Holcroft !  he  was  young  and  foolish ;  he 
didn't  realize " 

"  Were  you  and  your  husband  young  and  foolish,"  he 


''YOU  DON'T  KNOWy  275 

interrupted  bitterly,  "  when  you  gulled  me  into  employing 
that  crazy  cousin  of  yours  ?  " 

This  retort  was  so  overwhelming  that  Mrs.  Weeks 
sobbed  speechlessly. 

Alida  could  not  help  overhearing  the  conversation,  and 
she  now  glided  into  the  room  and  stood  by  her  husband's 
side. 

"James,"  she  said,  "  won't  you  do  me  a  favor,  a  great 
kindness  ?  " 

Mrs.  Weeks  raised  her  eyes  and  looked  wonderingly  at 
this  dreadful  woman,  against  whom  all  Oakville  was 
talking. 

"  I  know  what  you  wish,  Alida,"  he  replied  sternly, 
"  but  I  can't  do  it.  This  is  a  case  for  justice.  This 
woman's  son  was  the  leader  of  that  vile  crowd  thai 
insulted  you  last  night.  I  can  forgive  his  injuring  me 
but  not  the  words  he  used  about  you.  Moreover,  when 
I  was  alone  and  struggling  to  keep  my  home,  Mrs.  Weeks 
took  part  with  her  husband  in  imposing  on  me  their  fraud 
of  a  cousin  and  in  tricking  me  out  of  honest  money. 
Any  woman  with  a  heart  in  her  breast  would  have  tried 
to  help  a  man  situated  as  I  was.  No,  it's  a  clear  case  of 
justice,  and  her  son  shall  go  to  jail." 

Mrs.  Weeks  wailed  afresh  at  this  final  sentence.  Hol- 
croft  was  amazed  to  see  his  wife  drop  on  her  knees  beside 
his  chair.  He  raised  her  instantly.  "  Don't  do  such  a 
thing  as  that,"  he  said  huskily. 

Without  removing  her  pleading  eyes  from  his  face  she 
asked  gently,  "  Who  told  us  to  forgive  as  we  would  be 
forgiven  ?  James,  I  shall  be  very  unhappy  if  you  don't 
grant  this  mother's  prayer." 

He  tried  to  turn  away,  but  she  caught  his  hand  and 
held  his  eyes  with    hers.      "Alida,"  he   said  in   strong 


276     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

agitation,  "  you  heard  the  vile,  false  words  that  Timothy 
Weeks  said  last  night.  They  struck  you  down  like  a 
blow.     Can  you  forgive  him  }  " 

*'  Yes,  and  I  plead  with  you  to  forgive  him.  Grant  me 
my  wish,  James ;  I  shall  be  so  much  happier,  and  so  will 
you." 

"  Well,  Mrs.  Weeks,  now  you  know  what  kind  of  a 
woman  your  son  came  to  insult.  You  may  tell  your 
neighbors  that  there's  one  Christian  in  Oakville.  I  yield 
to  Mrs.  Holcroft,  and  will  take  no  further  action  in  the 
affair  if  we  are  let  alone." 

Mrs.  Weeks  was  not  a  bad  woman  at  heart,  and  she 
had  received  a  wholesome  lesson.  She  came  and  took 
Alida's  hand  as  she  said,  "Yes,  you  are  a  Christian — a 
better  woman  than  I've  been,  but  I  aint  so  mean  and 
bad  but  what,  when  I  see  my  fault,  I  am  sorry  and  can 
ask  forgiveness.  I  do  ask  your  forgiveness,  I^Ir.  Holcroft. 
I've  been  ashamed  of  myself  ever  since  you  brought  my 
cousin  back.  I  thought  she  would  tr>',  when  she  had 
the  chance  you  gave  her,  but  she  seems  to  have  no 
sense." 

"  There,  there  !  let  bygones  be  bygones,"  said  the 
farmer  in  embarrassment.  "  I've  surrendered.  Please 
don't  say  anything  more." 

"  You've  got  a  kind  heart,  in  spite " 

"  Oh,  come  now  !  please  quit,  or  I'll  begin  to  swear  a 
little  to  keep  up  the  reputation  my  neighbors  have  given 
me.  Go  home  and  tell  Tim  to  brace  up  and  try  to  be  a 
man.  When  I  say  I'm  done  with  a  grudge,  I  am  done. 
You  and  Mrs.  Holcroft  can  talk  all  you  like,  but  please 
excuse  me,"  and  with  more  than  most  men's  horror  of  a 
scene,  he  escaped  precipitately. 

"  Sit  down,  Mrs.  Weeks,"  said  Alida  kindly. 


''YOU  DON'T  know:'  277 

"  Well,  I  will.  I  can't  say  much  to  excuse  myself  or 
my  folks " 

"  You've  already  said  everything,  Mrs.  Weeks,"  inter- 
rupted Alida  gently  ;  "  you've  said  you  are  sorry." 

Mrs.  Weeks  stared  a  moment,  and  then  resumed 
sententiously,  "Well,  I've  heard  more  gospel  in  that 
remark  than  if  I'd  gone  to  church.  And  I  couldn't  go  to 
church,  I  could  never  have  gone  there  again  or  held  my 
head  up  anywhere  if — if " 

"  That's  all  past  and  gone,"  said  Alida,  smiling. 
"  When  Mr.  Holcroft  says  anything,  you  may  depend 
on  it." 

"  Well,  God  bless  you  for  intercedin' — you  had  so  much 
to  forgive.  Nobody  shall  ever  speak  a  word  against  you 
again  while  I've  got  breath  to  answer.  I  wish  you'd  let 
me  come  and  see  you  sometimes." 

"  Whenever  you  wish,  if  you  care  to  visit  one  who  has 
had  so  much— so  much  trouble." 

"  I  see  now  that's  all  the  more  reason  I  should  come, 
for  if  it  hadn't  been  for  you,  I'd  have  been  in  bitter  trouble 
myself.  We've  been  worse  than  heathen,  standin'  of? 
and  talking  against  you.  Oh,  I've  had  a  lesson  I  won't 
forget !  Well,  I  must  hurry  home,  for  I  left  Timothy  and 
Lemuel  in  a  dreadful  state." 

Seeing  the  farmer  in  the  barn  as  she  was  passing,  she 
rushed  to  him.  "You've  got  to  shake  hands  with  me, 
Mr.  Holcroft.  Your  wife  zs  a  good  woman,  and  she's  a 
lady,  too.  Anyone  with  half  an  eye  can  see  she's  not 
one  of  the  common  sort." 

The  farmer  shook  the  poor  woman's  hand  good- 
naturedly  and  said  heartily,  "  That's  so !  All  right, 
Meeting's  over.  Good-by."  Then  he  turned  to  his 
work  and  chuckled,  "  That's  what  Tom  Watterly  said. 


2^S     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

Thank  the  Lord  !  she  isn't  of  the  common  sort.  I've 
got  to  brace  up  and  be  more  of  a  man  as  well  as  Tim 
Weeks." 

In  spite  of  the  pain  in  his  head,  Alida's  words  proved 
true.  He  was  happier  than  he  had  been  in  many  a  long 
day.  He  had  the  glow  which  follows  a  generous  act, 
and  the  thought  that  he  had  pleased  a  sweet  little  woman 
who  somehow  seemed  very  attractive  to  him  that  May 
morning ;  at  the  same  time  the  old  Adam  in  his  nature 
led  to  a  sneaking  satisfaction  that  he  had  laid  on  the 
hickory  so  unsparingly  the  evening  before. 

Alida  uttered  a  low,  happy  laugh  as  she  heard  him 
whistling  "  Coronation  "  in  jig  time,  and  she  hustled 
away  the  breakfast  things  with  the  eagerness  of  a  girl, 
that  she  might  be  ready  to  read  to  him  when  he  came  in. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

FARM   AND    FARMER    BEWITCHED. 

The  day  grew  warm,  and  having  finished  her  tasks 
indoors  and  cared  for  the  poultry,  Alida  brought  a  chair 
out  in  the  porch.  Her  eyes  were  dreamy  with  a  vague, 
undefined  happiness.  The  landscape  in  itself  was  cause 
for  exquisite  pleasure,  for  it  was  an  ideal  day  of  the 
apple-blossoming  period.  The  old  orchard  back  of  the 
barn  looked  as  if  pink-and-white  clouds  had  settled  upon 
it,  and  scattered  trees  near  and  far  were  exhaling  their 
fragrance.  The  light  breeze  which  fanned  her  cheek  and 
bent  the  growing  rye  in  an  adjacent  field  was  perfumed 
beyond  the  skill  of  art.  Not  only  were  her  favorite 
meadow  larks  calling  to  each  other,  but  the  thrushes  had 
come  and'she  felt  that  she  had  never  heard  such  hymns 
as  they  were  singing.  A  burst  of  song  from  the  lilac 
bush  under  the  parlor  window  drew  her  eyes  thither,  and 
there  was  the  paternal  redbreast  pouring  out  the  very 
soul  of  ecstasy.  From  the  nest  beneath  him  rose  the 
black  head  and  yellow  beak  of  his  brooding  mate. 
"How  contented  and  happy  she  looks  I  "  Alida  mur- 
mured, "  how  happy  they  both  are  !  and  the  secret  of  it 
is  /lome.  And  to  think  that  I,  who  was  a  friendless 
waif,  am  at  home,  also  !  At  home  with  Eden-like  beauty 
and  peace  before  my  eyes.  But  if  it  hadn't  been  for 
him,  and  if  he  were  not  brave,  kind,  and  true  to  all  he 


28o     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

says "   and   she   shuddered  at   a   contrast  that  rose 

before  her  fancy. 

She  could  now  scarcely  satisfy  herself  that  it  was  only 
gratitude  which  filled  her  heart  with  a  strange,  happy 
tumult.  She  had  never  been  conscious  of  such  exalta- 
tion before.  It  is  true,  she  had  learned  to  cherish  a 
strong  affection  for  the  man  whom  she  had  believed  to 
be  her  husband,  but  chiefly  because  he  had  seemed  kind 
and  she  had  an  affectionate  disposition.  Until  within 
the  last  few  hours,  her  nature  had  never  been  touched 
and  awakened  in  its  profoundest  depths.  She  had  never 
known  before  nor  had  she  idealized  the  manhood  capable 
of  evoking  the  feelings  which  now  lighted  her  eyes  and 
gave  to  her  face  the  supreme  charm  and  beauty  of 
womanhood.  In  truth,  it  was  a  fitting  day  and  time  for 
the  birth  of  a  love  like  hers,  simple,  all-absorbing,  and 
grateful.  It  contained  no  element  not  in  harmony  with 
that  May  Sunday  morning. 

Holcroft  came  and  sat  on  the  steps  below  her.  She 
kept  her  eyes  on  the  landscape,  for  she  was  consciously 
enough  on  her  guard  now.  "  I  rather  guess  you  think, 
Alida,  that  you  are  looking  at  a  better  picture  than  any 
artist  fellow  could  paint  }  "  he  remarked. 

"Yes,"  she  replied  hesitatingly,  "and  the  picture 
seems  all  the  more  lovely  and  full  of  light  because  the 
background  is  so  very  dark.  I've  been  thinking  of  what 
happened  here  last  night  and  what  might  have  happened, 
and  how  I  felt  then." 

"  You  feel  better — different  now,  don't  y6u.'*  You  cer- 
tainly look  so." 

"Yes,  you  made  me  very  happy  by  yielding  to  Mrs. 
Weeks." 

"  Oh  I  I  didn't  yield  to  her  at  all." 


FARM  AND  FARMER  BEWITCHED.       281 

"Very  well,  have  it  your  own  way  then." 

"  I  think  you  had  it  your  way." 

"  Are  you  sorry  ?  " 

"  Do  I  look  so  }  How  did  you  know  I'd  be  happier  if 
I  gave  in  ?  " 

"  Because,  as  you  say,  I'm  getting  better  acquainted 
with  you.  Yon  couldn't  help  being  happier  for  a  gener-^ 
ous  act." 

"  I  wouldn't  have  done  it,  though,  if  it  hadn't  been  for 
you." 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  about  that." 

"  I  am.  You're  coming  to  make  me  feel  confoundedly 
uncomfortable  in  my  heathenish  life." 

"  I  wish  I  could." 

"  I  never  had  such  a  sermon  in  my  life  as  you  gave  me 
this  morning.  A  Christian  act  like  yours  is  worth  a 
year  of  religious  talk." 

She  looked  at  him  wistfully  for  a  moment  and  then 
asked,  a  little  abruptly,  "  Mr.  Holcroft,  have  you  truly 
forgiven  that  Weeks  family  }  " 

"  Oh,  yes  !  I  suppose  so.  I've  forgiven  the  old  lady, 
anyhow.     I've  shaken  hands  with  her." 

"  If  her  husband  and  son  should  come  and  apologize 
and  say  they  were  sorry,  would  you  truly  and  honestly 
forgive  them  ?  " 

"  Certainly  !  I  couldn't  hold  a  grudge  after  that. 
What  are  you  aiming  at  ?  "  and  he  turned  and  looked 
incjuiringly  into  her  face. 

It  was  flushed  and  tearful  in  its  eager,  earnest  interest. 
*'  Don't  you  see  .^  "  she  faltered. 

He  shook  his  head,  but  was  suddenly  and  strangely 
moved  by  her  expression. 

*'  Why,  Mr.  Holcroft,  if  you  can  honestly  forgive  those 


282      HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE. 

who  have  wronged  you,  you  ought  to  see  how  ready  God 
is  to  forgive." 

He  fairly  started  to  his  feet  so  vividly  the  truth  came 
home  to  him,  illumined,  as  it  was,  by  a  recent  and  per- 
sonal experience.  After  a  moment,  he  slowly  sat  down 
again  and  said,  with  a  long  breath,  "  That  was  a  close 
shot,  Alida." 

'•  I  only  wish  you  to  have  the  trust  and  comfort  which 
this  truth  should  bring  you,"  she  said.  "  It  seems  a  pity 
you  should  do  yourself  needless  injustice  when  you  are 
willing  to  do  what  is  right  and  kind  by  others." 

"  It's  all  a  terrible  muddle,  Alida.  If  God  is  so  ready 
to  forgive,  how  do  you  account  for  all  the  evil  and  suffer- 
ing in  the  world  ?  " 

"I  don't  account  for  it  and  can't.  I'm  only  one  of  his 
little  children  ;  often  an  erring  one,  too.  You've  been  able 
to  forgive  grown  people,  your  equals,  and  strangers  in  a 
sense.  Suppose  you  had  a  little  boy  that  had  done 
wrong,  but  said  he  was  sorry,  would  you  hold  a  grudge 
against  him  }  " 

"  The  idea !     I'd  be  a  brute." 

She  laughed  softly  as  she  asked  again,  "  Don't  you  see?" 

He  sat  looking  thoughtfully  away  across  the  fields  for 
a  long  time,  and  finally  asked,  "  Is  your  idea  of  becoming 
a  Christian  just  being  forgiven  like  a  child  and  then  try- 
ing to  do  right  ?  " 

"  Yes.     Why  not  ?  " 

"  Well,"  he  remarked,  with  a  grim  laugh,  "  I  didn't 
expect  to  be  cornered  in  this  way." 

"  You  who  are  truthful  should  face  the  truth.  It  would 
make  you  happier.^  A  good  deal  that  was  unexpected 
has  happened.  When  I  look  out  on  a  scene  like  this  and 
think  that  I  am  safe  and  at  honie.  I   feel   tliat  God   has 


FARM  AND   FARMER  BEWITCHED.       283 

been  very  good  to  me  and  that  you  have,  too.  I  can't 
bear  to  think  that  you  have  that  old  trouble  on  your 
mind — the  feeling  that  you  had  been  a  Christian  once, 
but  was  not  one  now.  Being  sure  that  there  is  no  need 
of  your  continuing  to  feel  so,  what  sort  of  return  would 
I  be  making  for  all  your  kindness  if  I  did  not  try  to  show 
you  what  is  as  clear  to  me  as  this  sunshine  ?  " 

"  You  are  a  good  woman,  Alida.  Believing  as  you  do, 
you  have  done  right  to  speak  to  me,  and  I  never  believed 
mortal  lips  could  speak  so  to  the  purpose.  I  shall  think 
of  what  you  have  said,  for  you  have  put  things  in  a  new 
light.  But  say,  Alida,  what  on  earth  possesses  you  to 
call  me  '  Mr.'  ?  You  said  James  easy  enough  after  the 
skimelton  was  over  and  when  old  lady  Weeks  was  beg- 
ging Tim  off.  You  don't  need  to  be  scared  half  to  death 
every  time  to  call  me  by  my  first  name,  do  you  }  " 

"  Scared  ?  Oh,  no  !  "  She  was  a  trifle  confused,  he 
thought,  but  then  her  tone  was  completely  reassuring. 

The  day  was  one  long  remembered  by  both.  As  in 
nature  about  them,  the  conditions  of  development  and 
rapid  change  now  existed.  She  did  not  read  aloud  very 
much,  and  long  silences  fell  between  them.  They  were 
reaching  a  higher  plane  of  companionship,  in  which  words 
are  not  always  essential.  Both  had  much  to  think  about, 
and  their  thoughts  were  like  roots  which  prepare  for 
blossom  and  fruit. 

With  Monday,  busy  life  was  resumed.  The  farmer 
began  planting  his  corn  and  Alida  her  flower  seeds. 
Almost  every  day  now  added  to  the  brood  of  little  chicks 
under  her  care.  The  cows  went  out  to  pasture,  Holcroft 
brought  in  an  increasing  number  of  overflowing  pails  of 
milk,  and  if  the  labors  of  the  dairy  grew  more  exacting, 
they  also  grew  more  profitable.     The  tide  had  turned ; 


284     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

income  was  larger  than  outgo,  and  it  truly  seemed  to  the 
long-harassed  man  that  an  era  of  peace  and  prosperity 
had  set  in. 

To  a  superficial  observer  things  might  have  appeared 
to  be  going  on  much  as  before,  but  there  were  influences 
at  work  which  Holcroft  did  not  clearly  comprehend. 

As  Alida  had  promised  herself  she  spent  all  the  money 
which  the  eggs  brought  in,  but  Holcroft  found  pretty 
muslin  curtains  at  the  parlor  windows,  and  shades  which 
excluded  the  glare  from  the  kitchen.  Better  china  took 
the  place  of  that  which  was  cracked  and  unsightly.  In 
brief,  a  subtle  and  refining  touch  was  apparent  all  over 
the  house, 

"  How  fine  we  are  getting  ! "  he  remarked  one  evening 
at  supper. 

"  I've  only  made  a  beginning,"  she  replied,  nodding 
defiantly  at  him.  "  The  chickens  will  paint  the  house 
before  the  year  is  over." 

"  Phew  !  when  do  the  silk  dresses  come  in  ?  " 

"  When  your  broadcloth  does." 

"  Well,  if  this  goes  on,  I  shall  certainly  have  to  wear 
purple  and  fine  linen  to  keep  pace." 

"  Fine  linen,  certainly.  When  you  take  the  next  lot  of 
eggs  to  town  I  shall  tell  you  just  tlie  number  of  yards  I 
need  to  make  half  a  dozen  extra  fine  shirts.  Those  you 
have  are  getting  past  mending." 

"Do  you  think  I'll  let  you  spend  your  money  in  that 
way  }  " 

"  You'll  let  me  spend  my  money  just  as  I  please — in  the 
way  that  will  do  me  the  most  good !  " 

"  What  a  saucy  little  woman  you  are  becoming  !  "  he 
said,  looking  at  her  so  fondly  that  she  quickly  averted  her 
eyes. 


FARM  AND  FARMER  BEWITCHED.       285 

"  It's  a  way  people  fall  into  when  humored,"  she 
answered. 

"  See  here,  Alida,  you're  up  to  some  magic.  It  seems 
but  the  other  day  I  brought  you  here,  a  pale  ghost  of  a 
woman.  As  old  Jonathan  Johnson  said,  you  were 
'  enj'yin'  poor  health.'  Do  you  know  what  he  said  when 
I  took  him  off  so  he  wouldn't  put  you  through  the 
catechism  }  " 

"  No,"  she  replied,  with  a  deprecating  smile  and  rising 
color. 

**  He  said  he  was  '  afeared  I'd  been  taken  in,  you  were 
such  a  sickly  lookin' critter.'  Ha!  ha!  Wish  he  might 
see  you  now,  with  that  flushed  face  of  yours.  I  never 
believed  in  magic,  but  I'll  have  to  come  to  it.  You  are 
bewitched,  and  are  being  transformed  into  a  pretty  young 
girl  right  under  my  eyes  ;  the  house  is  bewitched,  and  is 
growing  pretty,  too,  and  pleasanter  all  the  time.  The 
cherry  and  apple  trees  are  bewitched,  for  they  never 
blossomed  so  before  ;  the  hens  are  bewitched,  they  lay  as 
if  possessed  ;  the " 

"  Oh,  stop !  or  I  shall  think  that  you're  bewitched 
yourself." 

"  I  truly  begin  to  think  I  am." 

"  Oh,  well !  since  we  all  and  everything  are  affected  in 
the  same  way,  it  don't  matter." 

•'  But  it  does.  It's  unaccountable.  I'm  beginning  to 
rub  my  eyes  and  pinch  myself  to  wake  up." 

"  If  you  like  it,  I  wouldn't  wake  up." 

"  Suppose  I  did,  and  saw  Mrs.  Mumpson  sitting  where 
you  do,  Jane  here,  and  Mrs.  Wiggins  smoking  her  pipe  in 
the  corner.  The  very  thought  makes  me  shiver.  My  first 
words  would  be,  *  Please  pass  the  cold  p'ison.'  " 

"  What  nonsense  you  are  talking  to-night  !  "  she  tried 


286     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

to  say  severely,  but  the  pleased,  happy  look  in  her  eyes 
betrayed  her.  He  regarded  her  with  the  open  admiration 
of  a  boy,  and  she  sought  to  divert  his  attention  by  asking, 
*'  What  do  you  think  has  become  of  Jane  ?  " 

•'  I  don't  know — stealing  around  like  a  strange  cat  in 
some  relation's  house,  I  suppose." 

"  You  once  said  you  would  like  to  do  something  for 
her." 

"  Well,  I  would.  If  I  could  afford  it  I'd  like  to  send 
her  to  school." 

"  Would  you  like  her  to  come  here  and  study  lessons 
part  of  the  time  }  " 

He  shivered  visibly.  "  No,  Alida,  and  you  wouldn't 
either.  She'd  make  you  more  nervous  than  she  would 
me,  and  that's  saying  a  good  deal.  I  do  feel  very  sorry 
for  her,  and  if  Mrs.  Weeks  comes  to  see  you,  we'll  find 
out  if  something  can't  be  done,  but  her  presence  would 
spoil  all  our  cozy  comfort.  The  fact  is,  I  wouldn't  enjoy 
having  anyone  here.  You  and  I  are  just  about  company 
enough.  Still,  if  you  feel  that  you'd  like  to  have  some 
help " 

"  Oh,  no  !  I  haven't  enough  to  do." 

"  But  you're  always  a-doing.  Well,  if  you're  content, 
I  haven't  Christian  fortitude  enough  to  make  any 
changes." 

She  smiled  and  thought  that  she  was  more  than  con- 
tent. She  had  begun  to  detect  symptoms  in  her  hus- 
band which  her  own  heart  enabled  her  to  interpret.  In 
brief,  it  looked  as  if  he  were  drifting  on  a  smooth,  swift 
tide  to  the  same  haven  in  which  she  was  anchored. 

One  unusually  warm  morning  for  the  season,  rain  set 
in  after  breakfast.  Holcroft  did  not  fret  in  the  least 
that   he  could  not  go  to  the  fields,  nor  did  he,  as  had 


FARM  AND  FARMER  BEWITCHED.       287 

been  his  custom  at  first,  find  rainy-day  work  at  the  barn. 
The  cows,  in  cropping  the  lush  grass,  had  so  increased 
their  yield  of  milk  that  it  was  necessary  to  churn  every 
other  day,  and  Alida  was  busy  in  the  dairy.  This  place 
had  become  inviting  by  reason  of  its  coolness,  and  she 
had  rendered  it  more  so  by  making  it  perfectly  clean  and 
sweet.  Strange  to  say,  it  contained  another  chair  besides 
the  one  she  usually  occupied.  The  apartment  was  large 
and  stone-fiagged.  Along  one  side  were  shelves  filled 
with  rows  of  shining  milk-pans.  In  one  corner  stood 
the  simple  machinery  which  the  old  dog  put  in  motion 
when  tied  upon  his  movable  walk,  and  the  churn 
was  near.  An  iron  pipe,  buried  deep  in  the  ground, 
brought  cool  spring  water  from  the  brook  above.  This 
pipe  emptied  its  contents  with  a  low  gurgle  into  a 
shallow,  oblong  receptacle  sunk  in  the  floor,  and  was 
wide  and  deep  enough  for  two  stone  crocks  of  ample 
size  to  stand  abreast  up  to  their  rims  in  the  water.  The 
cream  was  skimmed  into  these  stone  jars  until  they  were 
full,  then  Holcroft  emptied  them  into  the  churn.  He 
had  charged  Alida  never  to  attempt  this  part  of  the 
work,  and  indeed  it  was  beyond  her  strength.  After 
breakfast  on  churning  days,  he  prepared  everything  and 
set  the  dog  at  work.  Then  he  emptied  the  churn  of  the 
buttermilk  when  he  came  in  to  dinner. 

All  the  associations  of  the  place  were  pleasant  to 
Alida.  It  was  here  that  her  husband  had  shown 
patience  as  well  as  kindness  in  teaching  her  how  to 
supplement  his  work  until  her  own  experience  and  judg- 
ment gave  her  a  better  skill  than  he  possessed.  Many 
pleasant,  laughing  words  had  passed  between  them  in 
this  cool,  shadowy  place,  and  on  a  former  rainy  morn- 
ing he  had  brought  a  chair  down  that  he  might  keep  her 


288      HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

company.  She  had  not  carried  it  back,  nor  was  she 
very  greatly  surprised  to  see  him  saunter  in  and  occupy 
it  on  the  present  occasion.  She  stood  by  the  churn,  her 
figure  outlined  clearly  in  the  light  from  the  open  door,  as 
she  poured  in  cold  water  from  time  to  time  to  hasten 
and  harden  the  gathering  butter.  Her  right  sleeve  was 
rolled  well  back,  revealing  a  white  arm  that  was  becom- 
ing beautifully  plump  and  round.  An  artist  would  have 
said  that  her  attitude  and  action  were  unconsciously 
natural  and  graceful.  Holcroft  had  scarcely  the  remotest 
idea  of  artistic  effect,  but  he  had  a  sensible  man's  per- 
ception of  a  charming  woman  when  she  is  charming. 

"  Mr.  Holcroft,"  she  asked  very  gravely,  "  will  you  do 
something  for  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  half  a  dozen  things." 

*'  You  promise  ?  " 

*'  Certainly  !     What's  the  trouble  ?  " 

"  I  don't  mean  there  shall  be  any  if  I  can  help  it,"  she 
answered  with  a  light  ripple  of  laughter.  "  Please  go 
and  put  on  your  coat." 

"  How  you've  humbugged  me  !     It's  too  hot." 

"  Oh,  you've  got  to  do  it ;  you  promised.  You  can't 
stay  here  unless  you  do." 

"  So  you  are  going  to  take  care  of  me  as  if  I  were  a 
small  boy  }  " 

"  You  need  care — sometimes." 

He  soon  came  back  and  asked,  "  Now  may  I  stay  ?  " 

*'  Yes.     Please  untie  the  dog.     Butter's  come." 

"  I  should  think  it  would,  or  anything  else  at  your 
coaxing." 

"  Oh-h,  what  a  speech  !  Hasn't  that  a  pretty  golden 
hue?  "  she  asked,  holding  up  a  mass  of  the  butter  she 
was  ladling  from  the  churn  into  a  wooden  tray. 


FARM  AND  FARMER  BEWITCHED.       289 

» 

"Yes,  you  are  making  the  gilt-edge  article  now.  I 
don't  have  to  sell  it  to  Tom  Watterly  any  more." 

"  I'd  like  to  give  him  some,  though." 

He  was  silent,  and  something  like  sudden  rage  burned 
in  his  heart  that  Mrs.  Watterly  would  not  permit  the 
gift.  That  anyone  should  frown  on  his  having  such  a 
helper  as  Alida  was  proving  herself  to  be,  made  him 
vindictive.  Fortunately  her  face  was  turned  away,  and 
she  did  not  see  his  heavy  frown.  Then,  to  shield  her 
from  a  disagreeable  fact,  he  said  quickly,  ''  Do  you  know 
that  for  over  a  year  I  steadily  went  behind  my  expenses, 
and  that  your  butter-making  has  turned  the  tide  already  } 
I'm  beginning  to  get  ahead  again." 

"  I'm  so  glad,"  and  her  face  was  radiant. 

"  Yes,  I  should  know  that  from  your  looks.  It's 
clearer  every  day  that  I  got  the  best  of  our  bargain.  I 
never  dreamed,  though,  that  I  should  enjoy  your  society 
as  I  do — that  we  should  become  such  very  good  friends. 
That  wasn't  in  the  bargain,  was  it  }  " 

"  Bargain  !  "  The  spirited  way  with  which  she  echoed 
the  word,  as  if  thereby  repudiating  anything  like  a 
sordid  side  to  their  mutual  relations,  was  not  lost 
on  her  wondering  and  admiring  partner.  She  checked 
herself  suddenly.  "  Now  let  me  teach  j^'ou  how  to 
make  butter,"  and  with  the  tray  in  her  lap,  she 
began  washing  the  golden  product  and  pressing  out 
the    milk. 

He  laughed  in  a  confused,  delighted  way  at  her 
piquant,  half  saucy  manner  as  he  watched  her  deft 
round  arm  and  shapely  hand. 

"  The  farmers'  wives  in  Oakville  would  say  your  hands 
were  too  little  to  do  much." 

"  They  would  ?  "  and  she  raised  her  blue  eyes  indig- 


290     HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE, 

nantly  to  his.  "  No  matter,  you  are  the  one  to  say  about 
that." 

"  I  say  they  do  too  much.  I  shall  have  to  get  Jane  to 
help  you." 

"  By  all  means  !     Then  you'll  have  more  society." 

"  That  was  a  home  shot.  You  know  how  I  dote  on 
everybody's  absence,  even  Jane's." 

"  You  dote  on  butter.  See  how  firm  and  yellow  it's 
getting.  You  wouldn't  think  it  was  milk-white  cream  a 
little  while  ago,  would  you  ?  Now  I'll  put  in  the  salt 
and  you  must  taste  it,  for  you're  a  connoisseur." 

"  A  what  }  " 

"Judge,  then." 

"  You  know  a  sight  more  than  I  do,  Alida." 

"  I'm  learning  all  the  time." 

"So  am  I — to  appreciate  you." 

"  Listen  to  the  sound  of  the  rain  and  the  water  as  it 
runs  into  the  milk-cooler.     It's  like  low  music,  isn't  it  ?  " 

Poor  Holcroft  could  make  no  better  answer  than  a 
sneeze. 

"  Oh-h,"  she  exclaimed,  "  you're  catching  cold  !  Come, 
you  must  go  right  upstairs.  You  can't  stay  here  another 
minute.     I'm  nearly  through." 

"  I  was  never  more  contented  in  my  life." 

"  You've  no  right  to  worry  me.  What  would  I  do  if 
you  got  sick  ?     Come,  I'll  stop  work  till  you  go." 

"Well  then,  little  boss,  good-by." 

With  a  half  suppressed  smile  at  his  obedience  Alida 
watched  his  reluctant  departure.  She  kept  on  diligently 
at  work,  but  one  might  have  fancied  that  her  thoughts 
rather  than  her  exertions  were  flushing  her  cheeks. 

It  seemed  to  her  that  but  a  few  moments  elapsed 
before  she  followed  him,  but  he  had  gone.     Then  she 


FARM  AND  FARMER  BEWITCHED.       291 

saw  that  the  rain  had  ceased  and  that  the  clouds  were 
breaking.  His  cheerful  whistle  sounded  reassuringly 
from  the  barn,  and  a  little  later  he  drove  up  the  lane 
with  a  cart. 

She  sat  down  in  the  kitchen  and  began  sewing  on  the 
fine  linen  they  had  jested  about.  Before  long  she  heard 
a  light  step.  Glancing  up,  she  saw  the  most  peculiar  and 
uncanny-looking  child  that  had  ever  crossed  her  vision, 
and  with  dismal  presentiment  knew  it  was  Jane. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

ANOTHER   WAIF. 

It  was  indeed  poor,  forlorn  little  Jane  that  bad 
appeared  like  a  specter  in  the  kitchen  door.  She  was  as 
wet  and  bedraggled  as  a  chicken  caught  in  a  shower.  A 
little  felt  hat  hung  limp  over  her  ears  ;  her  pigtail  braid 
had  lost  its  string  and  was  unraveling  at  the  end,  and  her 
torn,  sodden  shoes  were  ready  to  drop  from  her  feet. 
She  looked  both  curiously  and  apprehensively  at  Alida 
with  her  little  blinking  eyes,  and  then  asked  in  a  sort  of 
breathless  voice,  "  Where's  him  ,''  " 

♦•  Mr.  Holcroft  ?  " 

Jane  nodded. 

"  He's  gone  out  to  the  fields.  You  are  Jane,  aren't 
you  ?  " 

Another  nod. 

"0\\,dear/"  groaned  Alida  mentally;  "I  wish  she 
hadn't  come."  Then  with  a  fiush  of  shame  the  thought 
crossed  her  mind,  "  She  perhaps  is  as  friendless  and 
homeless  as  I  was,  and  '  him  '  is  also  her  only  hope. 
Come  in,  Jane,"  she  said  kindly,  "  and  tell  me  every- 
thing." 

"  Be  you  his  new  girl  ?  " 

"  I'm  his  wife,"  said  Alida,  smiling. 

Jane  stopped ;  her  mouth  opened  and  her  eyes 
twinkled  with  dismay.  "  Then  he  is  married,  after  all  }  " 
she  gasped. 


ANOTHER    WAIF.  293 

"  Yes,  why  not  ?  " 

'•  Mother  said  he'd  never  get  anyone  to  take  him." 

"  Well,  you  see  she  was  mistaken." 

"  She's  wrong  about  everything.  Well,  it's  no  use 
then,"  and  the  child  turned  and  sat  down  on  the  doorstep. 

Alida  w^as  perplexed.  From  the  way  Jane  wiped  her 
eyes  with  her  wet  sleeve,  she  was  evidently  crying. 
Coming  to  her,  Alida  said,  "  What  is  no  use,  Jane  } 
Why  are  you  crying  ?  " 

"  I  thought — he — might — p'raps— let  me  stay  and  work 
for  him." 

Alida  was  still  more  perplexed.  What  could  be  said 
by  way  of  comfort,  feeling  sure  as  she  did  that  Holcroft 
would  be  bitterly  hostile  to  the  idea  of  keeping  the 
child  ?  The  best  she  could  do  was  to  draw  the  little 
waif  out  and  obtain  some  explanation  of  her  unexpected 
appearance.  But  first  she  asked,  "  Have  you  had  any 
breakfast  ?  " 

Jane  shook  her  head. 

"  Oh,  then  you  must  have  some  right  away." 

"  Don't  want  any.  I  want  to  die.  I  oughtn'  ter  been 
born." 

"  Tell  me  your  troubles,  Jane.  Perhaps  I  can  help 
you," 

"  No,  you'd  be  like  the  rest.  They  all  hate  me  and 
make  me  feel  I'm  in  the  way.  He's  the  only  one  that 
didn't  make  me  feel  like  a  stray  cat,  and  now  he's  gone 
and  got  married,"  and  the  child  sobbed  aloud. 

Her  grief  was  pitiful  to  see,  for  it  was  overwhelming. 
Alida  stooped  down,  and  gently  lifting  the  child  up, 
brought  her  in.  Then  she  took  off  the  wet  hat  and 
wiped  the  tear-stained  face  with  her  handkerchief. 
•*  Wait  a  minute,  Jane,  till  I  bring  you  something,"  and 


294     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

she  ran  to  the  dairy  for  a  glass  of  milk.  "  You  must 
drink  it,"  she  said,  kindly  but  firmly. 

The  child  gulped  it  down,  and  with  it  much  of  her 
grief,  for  this  was  unprecedented  treatment  and  was  win- 
ning her  attention. 

"  Say,"  she  faltered,  "  will  you  ask  him  to  let  me 
stay  }  " 

"  Yes,  I'll  ask  him,  but  I  can't  promise  that  he  will." 

"  You  won't  ask  him  'fore  my  face  and  then  tell  him 
not  to  behind  my  back  ?  "  and  there  was  a  sly,  keen  look 
in  her  eyes  which  tears  could  not  conceal, 

"  No,"  said  Alida  gravely,  "  that's  not  my  way.  How 
did  you  get  here,  Jane  ?  " 

"  Run  away." 

"  From  where  ?  " 

"  Poorhouse." 

Alida  drew  a  quick  breath  and  was  silent  a  few 
moments.  "Is — is  your  mother  there?"  she  asked  at 
length. 

"  Yes.     They  wouldn't  let  us  visit  round  any  longer." 

"  Didn't  your  mother  or  anyone  know  you  were  com- 
ing.^" 

Jane  shook  her  head. 

Alida  felt  that  it  would  be  useless  to  burden  the 
unhappy  child  with  misgivings  as  to  the  result,  and  her 
heart  softened  toward  her  as  one  who  in  her  limited  way 
had  known  the  bitterness  and  dread  which  in  that  same 
almshouse  had  overwhelmed  her  own  spirit.  She  could 
only  say  gently,  "  Well,  wait  till  Mr.  Holcroft  comes,  and 
then  we'll  see  what  he  says."  She  herself  was  both 
curious  and  anxious  as  to  his  course.  "  It  will  be  a  heavy 
cross,"  she  thought,  "  but  I  should  little  deserve  God's 
goodness  to  me  if  I  did  not  befriend  this  child." 


ANOTHER    WAIF.  295 

Every  moment  added  weight  to  this  unexpected  burden 
of  duty.  Apart  from  all  consideration  of  Jane's  peculiari- 
ties, the  isolation  with  Holcroft  had  been  a  delight  in 
itself.  Their  mutual  enjoyment  of  each  other's  society 
had  been  growing  from  day  to  day,  and  she,  more  truly 
than  he,  had  shrunk  from  the  presence  of  another  as  an 
unwelcome  intrusion.  Conscious  of  her  secret,  Jane's 
prying  eyes  were  already  beginning  to  irritate  her  nerves. 
Never  had  she  seen  a  human  face  that  so  completely 
embodied  her  idea  of  inquisitiveness  as  the  uncanny 
visage  of  this  child.  She  saw  that  she  would  be  watched 
with  a  tireless  vigilance.  Her  recoil,  however,  was  not  so 
much  a  matter  of  conscious  reasoning  and  perception  as 
it  was  an  instinctive  feeling  of  repulsion  caused  by  the 
unfortunate  child.  It  was  the  same  old  story.  Jane 
always  put  the  women  of  a  household  on  pins  and  needles 
just  as  her  mother  exasperated  the  men.  Alida  had  to 
struggle  hard  during  a  comparatively  silent  hour  to  fight 
down  the  hope  that  Holcroft  would  not  listen  to  Jane's 
and  her  own  request. 

As  she  stepped  quickly  and  lightly  about  in  her  prepa- 
rations for  dinner,  the  girl  watched  her  intently.  At 
last  she  gave  voice  to  her  thoughts  and  said,  "  If  mother'd 
only  worked  round  smart  as  you,  p'raps  she'd  hooked 
him  'stid  er  you." 

Alida's  only  reply  was  a  slight  frown,  for  the  remark 
suggested  disagreeable  images  and  fancies.  "Oh,  how 
can  I  endure  it  ?  "  she  sighed.  She  determined  to  let 
Jane  plead  her  own  cause  at  first,  thinking  that  perhaps 
this  would  be  the  safest  way.  If  necessary,  she  would 
use  her  influence  against  a  hostile  decision,  let  it  cost  in 
discomfort  what  it  might. 

At  a  few  moments  before  twelve   the  farmer  came 


296     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

briskly  toward  the  house,  and  was  evidently  in  the  best  ol 
spirits.  When  he  entered  and  saw  Jane,  his  countenance 
indicated  so  much  dismay  that  Alida  could  scarcely 
repress  a  smile.  The  child  rose  and  stood  before  him 
like  a  culprit  awaiting  sentence.  She  winked  hard  to 
keep  the  tears  back,  for  there  was  no  welcome  in  his 
manner.  She  could  not  know  how  intensely  distasteful 
was  her  presence  at  this  time,  nor  had  Holcroft  himself 
imagined  how  unwelcome  a  third  person  in  his  house 
could  be  until  he  saw  the  intruder  before  him.  He  had 
only  felt  that  he  was  wonderfully  contented  and  happy 
in  his  home,  and  that  Jane  would  be  a  constant  source  of 
annoyance  and  restraint.  Moreover,  it  might  lead  to 
visitation  from  Mrs.  Mumpson,  and  that  was  the  sum- 
ming up  of  earthly  ills.  But  the  child's  appearance  and 
manner  were  so  forlorn  and  deprecating  that  words  of 
irritation  died  upon  his  lips.  He  gravely  shook  hands 
with  her  and  then  drew  out  the  story  which  Alida  had 
learned. 

"  Why,  Jane,"  he  exclaimed,  frowning,  "  IMr.  Watterly 
will  be  scouring  the  country  for  you.  I  shall  have  to 
take  you  back  right  after  dinner." 

"  I  kinder  hoped,"  she  sobbed,  "  that  you'd  let  me  stay. 
I'd  stay  in  the  barn  if  I  couldn't  be  in  the  house.  I'd 
just  as  soon  work  outdoors,  too," 

"  I  don't  think  you'd  be  allowed  to  stay,"  said  the 
farmer,  with  a  sinking  heart  ;  "  and  then — perhaps  your 
mother  would  be  coming  here." 

"  I  can't  stand  mother  no  more'n  you  can,"  said  the 
girl,  through  her  set  teeth.  "  I  oughtn'  ter  been  born,  for 
there's  no  place  for  me  in  the  world. 

Holcroft  looked  at  his  wife,  his  face  expressive  of  the 
utmost  annoyance,  worry,  and  irresolution.     Her  glance 


ANOTHER    WAIF.  297 

was  sympathetic,  but  she  said  nothing,  feehng  that  if  he 
could  make  the  sacrifice  from  his  own  will  he  should 
have  the  chance.  "  You  can't  begin  to  know  how  much 
trouble  this  may  lead  to,  Jane,"  he  resumed.  "  You 
remember  how  your  mother  threatened  to  take  the  law 
upon  me,  and  it  wouldn't  be  possible  for  you  to  stay 
here  without  her  consent." 

'*  She  oughter  consent  ;  I'll  make  her  consent !  "  cried 
the  child,  speaking  as  if  driven  to  desperation.  "  What's 
she  ever  done  for  me  but  teach  me  mean  ways  ?  Keep 
me  or  kill  me,  for  I  must  be  in  some  place  where  I've  a 
right  to  be  away  from  mother.  I've  found  that  there's 
no  sense  in  her  talk,  and  it  drives  me  crazy." 

Although  Jane's  words  and  utterance  were  strangely 
uncouth,  they  contained  a  despairing  echo  which  the 
farmer  could  not  resist.  Turning  his  troubled  face  to 
his  wife,  he  began,  *'  If  this  is  possible,  Alida,  it  will  be  a 
great  deal  harder  on  you  than  it  will  on  me.  I  don't  feel 
that  I  would  be  doing  right  by  you  unless  you  gave  your 
consent  with  full  knowledge  of " 

"  Then  please  let  her  stay,  if  it  is  possible.  She  seems 
to  need  a  friend  and  home  as  much  as  another  that  you 
heard  abo^it." 

"  There's  no  chance  of  such  a  blessed  reward  in  this 
case,"  he  rtrplied,  with  a  grim  laugh.  Then,  perplexed 
indeed,  he  continued  to  Jane,  "  I'm  just  as  sorry  for  you 
as  I  can  be,  but  there's  no  use  of  getting  my  wife  and 
self  in  trouble  which  in  the  end  will  do  you  no  good. 
You  are  too  young  to  understand  all  that  your  staying 
may  lead  to." 

"  It  won't  lead  to  mother's  comin'  here,  and  that's  the 
worst  that  could  happen.  Since  she  can't  do  anything 
for  me  she's  got  to  let  me  do  for  myself." 


298     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  Alida,  please  come  with  me  in  the  parlor  a  moment 
You  stay  here,  Jane."  When  they  were  alone,  he 
resumed,  "  Somehow,  I  feel  strangely  unwilling  to  have 
that  child  live  with  us.  We  were  enjoying  our  quiet  life 
so  much.  Then  you  don't  reahze  how  uncomfortable 
she  will  make  you,  Alida." 

"Yes,  I  do." 

"  I  don't  think  you  can  yet.  Your  sympathies  are 
touched  now,  but  she'll  watch  you  and  irritate  you  in  a 
hundred  ways.  Don't  her  very  presence  make  you 
uncomfortable  ?  " 

"  Yes.'* 

"Well,  then,  she  can't  stay,"  he  began  decidedly. 
"  This  is  your  home,  and  no  one  shall  make  you  uncom- 
fortable  " 

"  But  I  should  be  a  great  deal  more  uncomfortable  if 
she  didn't  stay,"  Alida  interrupted.  "  I  should  feel  that 
I  did  not  deserve  my  home.  Not  long  ago  my  heart 
was  breaking  because  I  was  friendless  and  in  trouble. 
What  could  I  think  of  myself  if  I  did  not  entreat  you  in 
behalf  of  this  poor  child  }  " 

"  Thunder !  "  ejaculated  Holcroft.  "  I  guess  I  was 
rather  friendless  and  troubled  myself,  and  I  didn't  know 
the  world  had  in  it  such  a  good  friend  as  you've  become, 
Alida.  Well,  well !  you've  put  it  in  such  a  light  that  I'd 
be  almost  tempted  to  take  the  mother,  also." 

"  No,"  she  replied,  laughing  ;  "  we'll  draw  the  line  at 
the  mother." 

"  Well,  I'll  take  Jane  to  town  this  afternoon,  and  if  her 
mother  will  sign  an  agreement  to  leave  us  all  in  peace, 
we'll  give  up  our  old  cozy  comfort  of  being  alone.  I 
suppose  it  must  be  a  good  deed,  since  it's  so  mighty  hard 
to  do  it,"  he  concluded  with  a  wry  face,  leading  the  way 


ANOTHER    WAIF.  299 

to  the  kitchen  again.  She  smiled  as  if  his  words  were 
already  rewarding  her  self-denial. 

"  Well,  Jane,"  he  resumed,  "  Mrs.  Holcroft  has  spoken 
in  your  behalf,  and  if  we  can  arrange  matters  so  that  you 
can  stay  you  will  have  her  to  thank  chiefly.  I'll  take  you 
back  to  the  poorhouse  after  dinner,  so  it  may  be  known 
what's  become  of  you.  Then,  if  your  mother  '11  sign  an 
agreement  to  make  no  trouble  and  not  come  here,  we'll 
give  you  a  home  until  we  can  find  a  better  place  fof  you.'* 

There  was  no  outburst  of  gratitude.  The  repressed, 
dwarfed  nature  of  the  child  was  incapable  of  this,  yet 
there  was  an  unwonted  little  thrill  of  hope  in  her  heart. 
Possibly  it  was  like  the  beginning  of  life  in  a  seed  under 
the  first  spring  rays  of  the  sun.  She  merely  nodded  to 
Holcroft  as  if  the  matter  had  been  settled  as  far  as  it 
could  be,  and  ignored  Alida. 

"  Why  don't  you  thank  Mrs.  Holcroft  ?  "  he  asked. 

Then  Jane  turned  and  nodded  at  Alida.  Her  vocabu- 
lary  of  thanks  was  undeveloped. 

"  She's  glad,"  said  Alida.  "  You'll  see.  Now  that  it's 
settled,  we  hope  you're  hungry,  Jane,  aren't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  be.     Can't  I  help  you  put  things  on  the  table  ?  "^ 

"Yes." 

Holcroft  looked  at  the  two  for  a  moment,  and  then 
shook  his  head  as  he  went  up  to  his  room.  "  I  thought 
my  wife  was  nice  and  pleasant  looking  before,"  he 
thought,  "but  she's  like  a  picture  beside  that  child. 
Well,  she  has  behaved  handsomely.  Tom  Watterly 
didn't  tell  half  the  truth  when  he  said  she  was  not  of  the 
common  run.  She's  a  Christian  in  deeds,  not  talk. 
What's  that  in  Scripture  about  '  I  was  hungry  '  ?  Well, 
well !  she  makes  religion  kind  of  natural  and  plain  like, 
whether  it's  easy  or  not.     Thunder  !   what  a  joke  it  is  to 


300     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

see  her  so  grateful  because  I've  given  her  a  chance  to 
help  me  out  of  the  worst  scrape  a  man  could  be  in  !  As 
if  she  hadn't  changed  everything  for  the  better  !  Here  I 
am  sure  of  my  home  and  getting  ahead  in  the  world 
again,  and  it's  all  her  doing." 

In  admiration  of  his  wife  Holcroft  quite  forgot  that 
there  had  been  any  self-sacrifice  on  his  part,  and  he  con- 
cluded that  he  could  endure  Jane  and  almost  anything 
else  as  long  as  Alida  continued  to  look  after  his  comfort 
and  interests. 

Now  that  the  worst  stress  of  Jane's  anxiety  was  over, 
she  proved  that  she  was  half  starved.  Indeed  she  had 
few  misgivings  now,  for  her  confidence  that  Holcroft 
would  accomplish  what  he  attempted  was  almost  un- 
bounded. It  was  a  rather  silent  meal  at  first,  for  the 
farmer  and  his  wife  had  much  to  think  about  and  Jane 
much  to  do  in  making  up  for  many  limited  meals.  At 
last  Holcroft  smiled  so  broadly  that  Alida  said,  "  Some- 
thing seems  to  please  you," 

"  Yes,  more  than  one  thing.  It  might  be  a  great  deal 
worse,  and  was,  not  long  ago.  I  was  thinking  of  old 
times." 

"  How  pleasant  they  must  have  been,  to  make  you  look 
so  happy !  " 

"  They  had  their  uses,  and  make  me  think  of  a  picture 
I  saw  in  a  store  window  in  town.  It  was  a  picture  of  a 
woman,  and  she  took  my  fancy  amazingly.  But  the 
point  uppermost  in  my  mind  was  a  trick  of  the  fellow 
who  painted  her.  He  had  made  the  background  as  dark 
as  night  and  so  she  stood  out  as  if  alive  ;  and  she  looked 
so  sweet  and  good  that  I  felt  like  shaking  hands  with  her. 
I  now  see  why  the  painter  made  the  background  so  dark." 

Alida  smiled  mischievously  as  siie  replied,  "  That  was 


ANOTHER    WAIF.  301 

his  art.  He  knew  that  almost  anyone  would  appear  well 
against  such  a  background." 

But  Holcroft  was  much  too  direct  to  be  diverted  from 
his  thought  or  its  expression.  "  The  man  knew  the 
mighty  nice  looking  woman  he  had  painted  would  look 
well,"  he  said,  "and  I  know  of  another  woman  who 
appears  better  against  a  darker  background.  That's 
enough  to  make  a  man  smile  who  has  been  through  what 
I  have." 

She  could  not  help  a  flush  of  pleasure  or  disguise  the 
happy  light  in  her  eyes,  but  she  looked  significantly  at 
Jane,  who,  mystified  and  curious,  was  glancing  from  one 
to  the  other. 

"  Confound  it !  "  thought  the  farmer.  "  That  'II  be  the 
way  of  it  now.  Here's  a  little  pitcher  that's  nearly  all 
ears.     Well,  we're  in  for  it  and  must  do  our  duty." 

Going  to  town  that  day  involved  no  slight  inconven- 
ience, but  Holcroft  dropped  everything  and  rapidly  made 
his  preparations. 

When  Alida  was  left  alone  with  Jane,  the  latter  began 
clearing  the  table  with  alacrity,  and,  after  a  few  furtive 
glances  at  Mrs.  Holcroft,  yielded  to  the  feeling  that  she 
should  make  some  acknowledgment  of  the  intercession 
in  her  behalf.  "  Say,"  she  began,  "  I  thought  you  wasn't 
goin'  to  stand  up  for  me,  after  all.  Women  folks  aie  liars, 
mostly." 

"  You  are  mistaken,  Jane.  If  you  wish  to  stay  with  us, 
you  must  tell  the  truth  and  drop  all  sly  ways." 

"  That's  what  he  said  when  I  first  come." 

"  I  say  it  too.  You  see  a  good  deal,  Jane.  Try  to  see 
what  will  please  people  instead  of  what  you  can  find  out 
about  them.  It's  a  much  better  plan.  Now,  as  a  friend, 
I  tell  you  of  one   thing  you  had  better  not  do.      You 


302      HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH ^  HIS    WIFE. 

shouldn't  watch  and  listen  to  Mr.  Holcroft  unless  he 
speaks  to  you.  He  doesn't  like  to  be  watched — no  one 
does.  It  isn't  nice  ;  and  if  you  come  to  us,  I  think  you 
will  try  to  do  what  is  nice.     Am  I  not  right  ?  " 

"I  dunno  how,"  said  Jane. 

"  It  will  be  part  of  my  business  to  teach  you.  You 
ought  to  understand  all  about  your  coming.  Mr.  Hol- 
croft doesn't  take  you  because  he  needs  your  work,  but 
because  he's  sorry  for  you,  and  wishes  to  give  you  a 
chance  to  do  better  and  learn  something.  You  miist 
make  up  your  mind  to  lessons,  and  learning  to  talk  and 
act  nicely,  as  well  as  to  do  such  work  as  is  given  you. 
Are  you  willing  to  do  what  I  say  and  mind  me  pleasantly 
and  promptly  }  " 

Jane  looked  askance  at  the  speaker  and  was  vaguely 
suspicious  of  some  trick.  In  her  previous  sojourn  at  the 
farmhouse  she  had  concluded  that  it  was  her  best  policy 
to  keep  in  Holcroft's  good  graces,  even  though  she  had 
to  defy  her  mother  and  Mrs.  Wiggins,  and  she  was  now 
by  no  means  ready  to  comtnit  herself  to  this  new  domestic 
power.  She  had  received  the  impression  that  the 
authority  and  continued  residence  of  females  in  this 
household  was  involved  in  much  uncertainty,  and 
although  Alida  was  in  favor  now  and  the  farmer's  wife, 
she  didn't  know  what  "  vicissitudes "  (as  her  mother 
would  denominate  them)  might  occur.  Holcroft  was  the 
only  fixed  and  certain  quantity  in  her  troubled  thoughts, 
and  after  a  little  hesitation  she  replied,  "  I'll  do  what  he 
says;  I'm  goin'  to  mind  him." 

"  Suppose  he  tells  you  to  mind  me  ?  " 

"  Then  I  will.  That  ud  be  mindin'  him.  I'm  goin'  to 
stick  to  him,  for  I  made  out  by  it  better  before  than  by 
mindin'  mother  and  Mrs.  Wiggins." 


ANOTHER    WAIF.  Z^Z 

Alida  now  understood  the  child  and  lauglied  aloud. 
"  You  are  right,"  she  said.  "  I  won't  ask  you  to  do  any- 
thing contrary  to  his  wishes.  Now  tell  me,  Jane,  what 
other  clothes  have  you  besides  those  you  are  wearing  ?  " 

It  did  not  take  the  girl  long  to  inventory  her  scanty 
wardrobe,  and  then  Alida  rapidly  made  out  a  list  of  what 
was  needed  immediately.  "  Wait  here,"  she  said,  and 
putting  on  a  pretty  straw  hat,  one  of  her  recent  purchases, 
she  started  for  the  barn. 

Holcroft  had  his  wagon  and  team  almost  ready  when 
Alida  joined  him,  and  led  the  way  to  the  floor  between 
the  sweet-smelling  hay-mows. 

"  One  thing  leads  to  another,"  she  began,  looking  at 
him  a  little  deprecatingly.  "You  must  have  noticed  the 
condition  of  Jane's  clothes." 

"  She  does  look  like  a  little  scarecrow,  now  I  come  to 
think  of  it,"  he  admitted. 

*'  Yes,  she's  not  much  better  off  than  I  was,"  Alida 
returned,  with  downcast  eyes  and  rising  color. 

Her  flushing  face  was  so  pretty  under  the  straw  hat, 
and  the  dark  mow  as  a  background  brought  out  her 
figure  so  finely  that  he  thought  of  the  picture  again  and 
laughed  aloud  for  pleasure.  She  looked  up  in  questioning 
surprise,  thus  adding  a  new  grace. 

"  I  wish  that  artist  fellow  was  here  now,"  he  exclaimed. 
•'  He  could  make  another  picture  that  would  suit  me 
better  than  the  one  I  saw  in  town." 

"  What  nonsense  !  "  she  cried,  quickly  averting  her  face 
from  his  admiring  scrutiny.  "  Come,  I'm  here  to  talk 
business  and  you've  no  time  to  waste.  I've  made  out  a 
list  of  what  the  child  actually  must  have  to  be  respectable." 

"  You're  right,  Alida,"  said  the  farmer,  becoming  grave 
at  once  over  a  question  of  dollars  and  cents.     "  As  you 


304     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

say,  one  thing  leads  to  another,  and  if  we  take  the  girl  we 
must  clothe  her  decently.  But  then,  I  guess  she'll  earn 
enough  to  pay  her  way.  It  isn't  that  I  vvoriy  about  so 
much,"  he  broke  out  discontentedly,  "but  the  interfer- 
ence with  our  quiet,  cozy  life.  Things  are  going  so 
smoothly  and  pleasantly  that  I  hate  a  change  of  any 
kind," 

"  We  mustn't  be  selfish,  you  know,"  she  replied.  "  You 
are  doing  a  kind,  generous  act,  and  I  respect  you  all  the 
more  for  it." 

"  That  settles  everything.  You'll  like  me  a  little  better 
for  it,  too,  won't  you  }  "  he  asked  hesitatingly. 

She  laughed  outright  at  this  question  and  answered, 
"  It  won't  do  to  take  too  much  self-sacrifice  out  of  your 
act.  That's  something  which  does  us  all  good.  She 
ought  to  have  a  spelling  and  a  writing  book  also." 

Holcroft  was  assuredly  falling  under  the  sway  of  the 
little  blind  god,  for  he  began  at  once  to  misunderstand 
Alida.  "  You  are  very  fond  "of  self-sacrifice,"  he  said, 
rather  stiffly.  '•  Yes,  I'll  get  everything  on  your  list,"  and 
he  took  it  from  her  hand.  "  Now  I  must  be  off,"  he 
added,  "for  I  wish  to  get  back  before  night,  and  it's  so 
warm  I  can't  drive  fast.  Sorry  I  have  to  go,  for  I  can't 
say  I  dote  on  self-sacrifice." 

Alida  but  partially  understood  his  sudden  change  of 
mood,  nor  was  the  farmer  much  better  enlightened  him- 
self in  regard  to  his  irritation.  He  had  received  an  un- 
expected impression  and  it  seemed  to  fit  in  with  other 
things  and  explain  them.  She  returned  slowly  and 
dejectedly  to  the  house,  leaving  unsaid  the  words  she 
meant  to  speak  about  Jane's  relations  to  her.  Now  she 
wished  that  she  had  imitated  Jane,  and  merely  nodded 
to  the  farmer's  question.     "  If  he  knew  how  far  I  am 


ANOTHER    WAIF.  305 

beyond  the  point  of  liking,  I  don't  know  what  he'd  do  or 
say,"  she  thought,  "  and  I  suppose  that's  the  reason  I 
couldn't  answer  him  frankly,  in  a  way  that  would  have 
satisfied  him.  It's  a  pity  I  couldn't  begin  to  just  like  a 
little  at  first,  as  he  does,  and  have  everything  grow  as 
gradually  and  quietly  as  one  of  his  cornstalks.  That's 
the  way  I  meant  it  should  be  ;  but  when  he  stood  up  for 
me  and  defended  me  from  those  men,  my  heart  just 
melted,  and  in  spite  of  myself,  I  felt  I  could  die  for  him. 
It  can't  be  such  an  aw^ful  thing  for  a  woman  to  fall  in 
love  with  her  husband,  and  yet — yet  I'd  rather  put  my 
hand  in  the  fire  than  let  him  know  how  I  feel.  Oh,  dear  ! 
I  wish  Jane  hadn't  been  born,  as  she  says.  Trouble  is 
beginning  already,  and  it  was  all  so  nice  before  she 
came." 

In  a  few  moments  Holcroft  drove  up.  Alida  stood  in 
the  door  and  looked  timidly  at  him.  He  thought  she 
appeared  a  little  pale  and  troubled,  but  his  bad  mood 
prevailed  and  he  only  asked  briefly,  "Can't  I  get  some- 
thing for  you  ?  " 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  Well,  good-by,  then,"  and  he  drove  away  with  Jane, 
who  was  confirmed  in  her  line  of  policy.  "  She's  afraid 
of  'im  too,"  thought  the  child.  "  Mind  her!  guess  not, 
unless  he  says  so."  She  watched  the  farmer  furtively, 
and  concluded  that  she  had  never  known  him  to  look 
more  grim  or  be  more  silent  even  under  her  mother's 
blandishments.  "  He's  married  this  one,  I  s'pose,  to 
keep  house  for  'im,  but  he  don't  like  her  follerin'  'im  up 
or  bein'  for'ard  any  more'n  he  did  mother.  Shouldn't 
wonder  if  he  didn't  keep  her,  either,  if  she  don't  suit 
better.  She  needn't  'a'  put  on  such  airs  with  me,  for  I'm 
goin'  to  stick  to  him." 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

HUSBAND   AND   WIFE   IN   TROUBLE. 

Like  many  others  with  simple,  strong  natures,  Hol- 
croft  could  not  be  wrong-headed  moderately,  and  his 
thoughts,  once  started  in  a  direction,  were  apt  to  carry 
him  much  farther  than  the  cause  warranted.  Engrossed 
in  painful  and  rather  bitter  musings,  he  paid  no  heed  to 
Jane,  and  almost  forgot  his  errand  to  town.  "  I  w^as  a 
fool  to  ask  that  question,"  he  thought.  "  I  was  getting 
silly  and  sentimental  with  my  talk  about  the  picture  and 
all  that.  She  laughed  at  me  and  reminded  me  I  was 
wasting  time.  Of  course  she  can't  like  an  old,  hard- 
featured  man  like  me.  I'm  beginning  to  understand  her 
now.  Slie  made  a  business  marriage  with  me  and  means 
to  live  up  to  her  agreement.  She's  honest  ;  she  feels  I've 
done  her  a  great  kindness  in  giving  her  a  home,  and  she's 
willing  to  be  as  self-sacrificing  as  the  day  is  long  to  make 
it  up  to  me.  I  wish  she  wasn't  so  grateful ;  there's  no 
occasion  for  it.  I  don't  want  her  to  feel  that  every 
pleasant  word  and  every  nice  act  is  so  much  toward  pay- 
ing a  debt.  If  there  was  any  balance  in  my  favor  it  was 
squared  up  long  ago,  and  I  was  willing  to  call  it  even  from 
the  start.  She's  made  me  like  her  for  her  own  sake  and 
not  on  account  of  what  she  does  for  me,  and  that's  what 
I  had  in  mind.  But  she's  my  superior  in  every  way  ; 
she's  growing  to  be  as  pretty  as  a  picture,  and  I  suppose 
I  appear  like  a  rather  rough  customer.     Well,  I  can't  help 


HUSBAND  AND    WIFE  IN   TROUBLE.      3^7 

it,  but  it  rather  goes  against  me  to  have  her  think,  '  I've 
married  him  and  I'm  going  to  do  my  duty  by  him,  just  as 
I  agreed.'  She'll  do  her  duty. by  this  Jane  in  the  same 
self-sacrificing  spirit,  and  will  try  to  make  it  pleasant  for 
the  child  just  because  it's  right  and  because  she  herself 
was  taken  out  of  trouble.  That's  the  shape  her  religion 
takes.  'Tisn't  a  common  form,  I  know — this  returning 
good  for  good  with  compound  interest.  But  her  con- 
science won't  let  her  rest  unless  she  does  everything  she 
can  for  me,  and  now  she'll  begin  to  do  everything  for 
Jane  because  she  feels  that  self-sacrifice  is  a  duty.  Any- 
body can  be  self-sacrificing.  If  I  made  up  my  mind,  I 
could  ask  Mrs.  Mumpson  to  visit  us  all  summer,  but  I 
couldn't  like  her  to  save  my  life,  and  I  don't  suppose  Alida 
can  like  me,  beyond  a  certain  point,  to  save  her  life.  But 
she'll  do  her  duty.  She'll  be  pleasant  and  self-sacrificing 
and  do  all  the  work  she  can  lay  her  hands  on  for  my 
sake  ;  but  when  it  comes  to  feeling  toward  me  as  I  can't 
help  feeling  toward  her— that  wasn't  in  the  bargain," 
and  he  startled  Jane  with  a  sudden  bitter  laugh. 

"  Say,"  said  the  child,  as  if  bent  on  adding  another 
poignant  reflection,  "  if  you  hadn't  married  her,  I  could  'a* 
come  and  cooked  for  you." 

"You  think  I'd  been  better  off  if  I'd  waited  for  you, 
eh'?" 

"  You  kinder  looked  as  if  yer  thought  so." 

He  now  made  the  hills  echo  with  a  laugh,  excited  both 
by  his  bitter  fancies  and  the  preposterous  idea.  She 
looked  at  him  inquiringly  and  was  much  perplexed  by  his 
unwonted  behavior.  Indeed,  he  was  slightly  astonished 
at  his  own  strange  mood,  but  he  yielded  to  it  almost 
recklessly.  "  I  say,  Jane,"  he  began,  "  I'm  not  a  very 
good-looking  man,  am  I  }  " 


3o8     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE, 

She  shook  her  head  in  emphatic  agreement. 

*'  I'm  old  and  rough  and  hard-featured  ?  " 

Agan  she  nodded  approvingly. 

"  Children  and  some  others  speak  the  truth,"  he 
growled. 

"I  never  had  no  teachin',  but  I'm  not  a  fool," 
remarked  Jane  keenly. 

*'  I  guess  I'm  the  fool  in  this  case,"  he  added. 

"It  don't  make  no  difference  to  me,"  she  said  sympa- 
thetically. "  I'm  goin'  to  mind  you  and  not  her.  If  you 
ever  send  her  away  I'll  cook  for  you." 

"  Send  her  away  ! "  '  exclaimed  the  farmer,  with  a 
shiver.     "  God  forbid  !     There,  don't  talk  any  more  I  " 

For  the  next  half  mile  he  drove  in  silence,  with  a 
heavy  frown  on  his  face  ;  then  he  broke  out  sternly,  "  If 
you  don't  promise  to  mind  Mrs.  Holcroft  and  please  her 
in  everything,  I'll  leave  you  at  the  poorhouse  door  and 
drive  home  again." 

*'  Course  I  will,  if  you  tells  me  to,"  said  the  child  in 
trepidation. 

*'  Well.  I  do.  People  will  find  that  making  her  trouble 
is  the  surest  way  of  making  themselves  trouble." 

*'  She's  got  some  hold  on  'im,"  concluded  Jane,  who,  in 
listening  to  much  gossip,  had  often  heard  this  expression, 
and  now  made  a  practical  application  of  the  idea. 

Watterly  was  greatly  relieved  when  he  saw  Holcroft 
drive  up  with  the  fugitive,  "  I  was  just  going  out  to 
your  place,"  he  said,  "  for  the  girl's  mother  insisted  that 
you  had  enticed  the  child  away,"  and  the  man  laughed, 
as  if  the  idea  tickled  him  immensely. 

Holcroft  frowned,  for  he  was  in  no  mood  for  his 
friend's  rough  jests.  '  Go  to  your  mother  till  I  send  for 
you,"  he  said  to  Jane. 


HUSBAND  AND    WIFE   IN    TROUBLE.      309 

"  The  fact  that  you  had  taken  two  other  females  frorr 
the  house  gave  some  color  to  Mrs.  Mumpson's  views,' 
pursued  Watterly,  who  could  take  only  the  broadest  hint 
as  to  his  social  conduct. 

He  received  one  now.  "  Tom  Watterly,"  said  the 
farmer  sternly,  "  did  I  ever  insult  your  wife  }  " 

"  By  jocks !  no,  you  nor  no  other  man.  I  should  say 
not." 

"  Well,  then,  don't  you  insult  mine.  Before  I'd  seen 
Mrs.  Holcroft,  you  told  me  she  was  out  of  the  common 
run, — how  much  out,  you  little  know, — and  I  don't  want 
her  mixed  up  with  the  common  run,  even  in  you? 
thoughts." 

'*  Well,  now,  I  like  that,"  said  Watterly,  giving  Hol- 
croft his  hand.  "You  know  I  didn't  mean  any  offense, 
Jim.  It  was  only  one  of  my  foolish  jokes.  You  were 
mighty  slow  to  promise  to  love,  honor,  and  obey,  but 
hanged  if  you  aint  more  on  that  line  than  any  man  in 
town.  I  can  see  she's  turning  out  well  and  keeping  her 
agreement." 

"  Yes,  that's  just  what  she's  doing,"  said  the  farmei 
gloomily.  "  She's  a  good,  capable  woman  that  '11  sacri- 
fice herself  to  her  duty  any  day.  But  it  wasn't  to  talk 
about  her  I  came.  She's  a  sight  better  than  I  am,  but 
she's  probably  not  good  enough  for  anybody  in  this  town 
to  speak  to." 

"  Oh,  pshaw  ;  now,  Jim  !  " 

"  Well,  I've  come  on  disagreeable  business.  I  didn't 
know  that  Mrs.  Mumpson  and  her  child  were  here,  and 
I  wish  to  the  Lord  they  could  both  stay  here !  You've 
found  out  what  the  mother  is,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"I  should  say  so,"  replied  Tom,  laughing.  "She's 
talked  several  of  the  old  women  to  death  already.     The 


3IO      HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

first  day  she  was  here  she  called  on  my  wife  and  claimed 
social  relations,  because  she's  so  '  respecterbly  connected/ 
as  she  says.  I  thought  Angy'd  have  a  fit.  Her  respect- 
able connections  have  got  to  take  her  off  my  hands." 

"  I'm  not  one  of  'em,  thank  goodness  !  "  resumed  Hol- 
croft.  "But  I'm  willing  to  take  the  girl  and  give  her  a 
chance — at  least  I'll  do  it,"  he  corrected  himself,  in  his 
strict  observance  of  truth.  "You  can  see  she's  not  a 
child  to  dote  on,  but  I  was  sorry  for  her  when  I  sent  her 
mother  away  and  said  I'd  try  and  do  something  for  her. 
The  first  thing  I  knew  she  was  at  the  house,  begging  me 
10  either  take  her  in  or  kill  her.  I  couldn't  say  no, 
though  I  wanted  to.  Now,  you  see  what  kind  of  a 
good  Samaritan  I  am." 

"  Oh,  I  know  you  !  You'd  hit  a  man  between  the  eyes 
if  he  charged  you  with  doing  a  good  deed.  But  what 
does  your  wife  say  to  adopting  such  a  cherub  }  " 

"  We're  not  going  to  adopt  her  or  bind  ourselves.  My 
wife  took  the  child's  part  and  plead  with  me  in  her 
behalf,  though  I  could  see  the  young  one  almost  made 
her  sick.  She  thinks  it's  her  duty,  you  know,  and  that's 
enough  for  her," 

"  By  jocks,  Holcroft !  she  don't  feel  that  way  about 
you,  does  she  ?  " 

"  Why  shouldn't  she  ?  " 

*'  Why  should  she  ?  I  can  take  about  anything  from 
Angy,  but  it  wouldn't, do  for  her  to  let  me  see  that  she 
disliked  me  so  that  I  kinder  made  her  sick." 

"  Oh,  thunder,  Tom  !  you're  getting  a  wrong  impres- 
sion. I  was  never  treated  better  by  anybody  in  my  life 
than  by  Mrs.  Holcroft.  She's  a  lady,  every  inch  of  her. 
But  there's  no  reason  why  she  should  dote  on  an  old 
fellow  like  me." 


HUSBAND  AND    WIFE  IN    TROUBLE.      V^\ 

"  Yes,  there  is.  I  have  my  opinion  of  a  woman  who 
wouldn't  dote  on  a  man  that's  been  such  a  friend  as  you 
have." 

"  Oh,  hang  it  all,  Tom  !  let's  talk  about  business, 
She's  too  grateful— that's  what  worries  me.  By  the  way 
she  took  hold  and  filled  the  house  with  comfort  she 
made  everything  even  from  the  start.  She's  been  as 
good  a  friend  to  me  as  I  to  her.  She's  done  all  she 
agreed  and  more,  and  I'll  never  hear  a  word  against  her. 
The  point  I've  been  trying  to  get  at  is  this  :  If  Mrs. 
Mumpson  will  agree  never  to  come  near  us  or  make 
trouble  in  any  way,  we'll  take  the  child.  If  she  won't  sr 
agree,  I'll  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  girl.  I  don't  warn 
to  see  her  mother,  and  you'd  do  me  one  of  the  kindest 
turns  you  ever  did  a  man  by  stating  the  case  to 
her." 

"  If  I  do,"  said  Watterly,  laughing,  "  you'll  have  to 
forgive  me  everything  in  the  past  and  the  future." 

"  I  will,  Tom,  for  I'd  rather  have  an  eye-tooth  pullec^^ 
than  face  that  woman.  We're  all  right — just  as  we  used 
to  be  at  school,  always  half  quarreling,  yet  ready  to  stan(/- 
up  for  each  other  to  the  last  drop.  But  I  must  have 
her  promise  in  black  and  white." 

"  Well,  come  to  my  ofifice  and  we'll  try  to  arrange  it. 
The  law  is  on  your  side,  for  the  county  won't  support 
people  that  anyone  will  take  off  its  hands.  Besides,  I'm 
going  to  shame  the  woman's  relations  into  taking 
her  awiiy,  and  tney'll  be  glad  there's  one  less  to 
support.'' 

They  drew  up  a  brief,  strong  agreement,  and  Watterly 
took  it  to  the  widow  to  sign.  He  found  her  in  great 
excitement  and  Jane  looking  at  her  defiantly.  "  I  told 
you  he  was  the  one  who  enticed  away  my  offspring,"  she 


312      HE  FELL   IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

began,  almost  hysterically.  "  He's  a  cold-blooded  villain  \ 
If  there's  law  in  the  land  I'll " 

*'  Stop  !  "  thundered  Watterly.  His  voice  was  so  high 
and  authoritative  that  she  did  stop,  and  with  open  mouth 
stared  at  the  superintendent.  "  Now,  be  quiet  and  listen 
to  me,"  he  continued.  "  Either  you  are  a  sane  woman 
and  can  stop  this  foolishness,  or  else  you  are  insane  and 
must  be  treated  as  such.  You  have  your  choice.  You 
can't  tell  me  anything  about  Holcroft  ;  I've  known  him 
since  he  was  a  boy.  He  doesn't  want  your  girl.  She 
ran  away  to  him,  didn't  you.''"  to  Jane,  who  nodded. 
"  But  he's  willing  to  take  her,  to  teach  her  something  and 
give  her  a  chance.  His  motive  is  pure  kindness,  and  he 
has  a  good  wife  who'll " 

"  I  see  it  all,"  cried  the  widow,  tragically  clasping  her 
hands.  "  It's  his  wife's  doings  !  She  wishes  to  triumph 
over  me,  and  even  to  usurp  my  place  in  ministering  to 
my  child.  Was  there  ever  such  an  outrage }  Such 
a  bold,  vindictive  female " 

Here  Jane,  in  a  paroxysm  of  indignant  protest,  seized 
her  mother  and  began  to  shake  her  so  violently  that  she 
could  not  speak. 

•'  Stop  that !  "  said  Watterly,  repressing  laughter  with 
difficulty.  "  I  see  you  are  insane  and  the  law  will  have  to 
step  in  and  take  care  of  you  both." 

"  What  will  it  do  with  us  ?  "  gasped  the  widow. 

"  Well,  it  ought  to  put  you  in  strait  jackets,  to  begin 
with " 

*'  I've  got  some  sense  if  mother  aint !  "  cried  Jane,  com- 
mencing to  sob. 

"  It's  plain  the  law  '11  decide  your  mother's  not  fit  to 
take  care  of  you.  Anyone  who  can  even  imagine  such 
silly,  ridiculous  things  as  she's  just  said  must  be  looked 


HUSBAND  AND    WIFE  IN   TROUBLE.      Z^"^ 

after.  You  7nay  take  a  notion,  Mrs.  Mumpson,  that  I'm 
a  murderer  or  a  giraffe.  It  would  be  just  as  sensible  as 
your  other  talk." 

"  What  does  Mr.  Holcroft  offer }  "  said  the  widow, 
cooling  off  rapidly.  If  there  was  an  atom  of  common 
sense  left  in  any  of  his  pauper  charges,  Watterly  soon 
brought  it  into  play,  and  his  vague  threatenings  of  law 
were  always  awe-inspiring. 

"  He  makes  a  very  kind  offer,  that  you  would  jump  at 
if  you  had  sense— a  good  home  for  your  child.  You  ought 
to  know  she  can't  stay  here  and  live  on  charity  if  anyone 
is  willing  to  take  her." 

"  Of  course  I  would  be  permitted  to  visit  my  child  from 
time  to  time  ?  He  couldn't  be  so  monstrously  hard- 
hearted as " 

"  Oh,  nonsense  !"  cried  Watterly  impatiently.  "The 
idea  of  his  letting  you  come  to  his  house  after  what  you've 
said  about  him  !  I've  no  time  to  waste  in  foolishness,  or 
he  either.  He  will  let  Jane  visit  you,  but  you  are  to  sign 
this  paper  and  keep  the  agreement  not  to  go  near  him  or 
make  any  trouble  whatever." 

*'  It's  an  abominable " 

"Tut!  tut!  that  kind  of  talk  isn't  allowed  here.  If 
you  can't  decide  like  a  sane  woman  the  law  '11  soon  decide 
for  you." 

As  was  always  the  case  when  Mrs.  Mumpson  reached 
the  inevitable,  she  yielded  ;  the  paper  was  signed,  and 
Jane,  who  had  already  made  up  her  small  bundle,  nodded 
triumphantly  to  her  mother  and  followed  W^atterly.  Mrs. 
Mumpson,  on  tiptoe,  followed  also,  bent  on  either  pro- 
pitiating Holcroft  and  so  preparing  the  way  for  a  visit,  or 
else  on  giving  him  once  more  a  "  piece  of  her  mind." 

"  All  right,  Holcroft ! "  said  Watterly,  as  he  entered  the 


314     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE. 

office,  "  here's  the  paper  signed.  Was  there  ever  such  an 
id " 

"  Oh,  how  do  you  do,  Mr.  Holcroft  ?  "  cried  the  widow, 
bursting  in  and  rushing  forward  with  extended  hand. 

The  farmer  turned  away  and  looked  as  if  made  of 
stone. 

Clianging  her  tactics  instantly,  she  put  her  hand- 
kerchief to  her  eyes  and  moaned,  "  You  never  can  have 
the  heart  to  say  I  can't  come  and  see  my  child.  I've 
signed  writings,  'tis  true,  under  threats  and  compulsions ; 
but  I  trust  there  will  be  relentings " 

"  There  won't  be  one  relent !  "  cried  Jane.  "  I  never 
want  to  see  you  again,  and  a  blind  post  could  see  that  he 
doesn't." 

"  Jane,"  said  Holcroft  sternly,  "  don't  speak  so  again. 
If  strangers  can  be  kind  and  patient  with  you,  you  can  be 
so  with  your  mother.  She  has  no  claims  on  me  and  has 
said  things  which  make  it  impossible  for  me  to  speak  to 
her  again,  but  I  shall  insist  on  your  visiting  and  treating 
her  kindly.  Good-by,  Watterly.  You've  proved  yourself 
a  friend  again,"  and  he  went  rapidly  away,  followed  by 
Jane. 

]\Irs.  Mumpson  was  so  taken  aback  by  Holcroft's  final 
words  and  Watterly 's  stern  manner  as  he  said,  "  This  is 
my  office,"  that  for  once  in  her  life  she  disappeared 
silently. 

Holcroft  soon  purchased  the  articles  on  his  list,  mean- 
while racking  his  brains  to  think  of  something  that  he 
could  buy  for  Alida,  but  the  fear  of  being  thought  senti- 
mental and  of  appearing  to  seek  a  personal  regard  for 
himself,  not  "nominated  in  the  bond,"  restrained  him. 

On  his  way  home  he  was  again  sunk  in  deep  abstrac- 
Uon,  but  the  bitterness  of  his  feeling  had  passed  away. 


HUSBAND  AND    WIFE  IN   TROUBLE.      3^5 

Although  as  mistaken  as  before  in  his  apprehension  of 
Alida,  his  thoughts  were  kinder  and  juster.  "  I've  no 
right  to  find  fault  or  complain,"  he  said  to  himself. 
*'  She's  done  all  I  asked  and  better  than  she  agreed,  and 
there's  no  one  to  blame  if  she  can't  do  more.  It  must 
have  been  plain  enough  to  her  at  first  that  I  didn't  want 
anything  but  a  housekeeper — a  quiet,  friendly  body  that 
would  look  after  the  house  and  dairy,  and  she's  done 
better  than  I  even  hoped.  That's  just  the  trouble  ;  she's 
turned  out  so  different  from  what  I  expected,  and  looks  so 
different  from  what  she  did,  that  I'm  just  sort  of  carried 
,away.  I'd  give  half  the  farm  if  she  was  sitting  by  my 
»ide  this  June  evening  and  I  could  tell  her  all  I  feel  and 
k-jiow  she  was  glad.  I  must  be  just  and  fair  to  her.  I 
a.sked  her  to  agree  to  one  thing  and  now  I'm  beginning 
to  want  a  tremendous  sight  more — I  want  her  to  like  not 
only  her  home  and  work  and  the  quiet  life  she  so  longed 
for,  but  I  want  her  to  like  me,  to  enjoy  my  society,  not 
onl)iin  a  friendly,  businesslike  way,  but  in  another  way — 
yes,  confound  my  slow  wits  !  somewhat  as  if  she  was  my 
wife  in  reality  and  not  merely  in  name,  as  I  insisted.  It's 
mighty  mean  business  in  me,  who  have  been  so  proud  of 
standing  up  to  my  agreements  and  so  exacting  of  others 
to  do  the  same.  I  went  away  cold  and  stiff  this  afternoon 
because  she  wasn't  silly  and  sentimental  when  I  was. 
I'm  to  her  an  unpolished,  homely,  middle-aged  man,  and 
yet  I  sort  of  scoffed  at  the  self-sacrifice  which  has  led  her 
to  be  pleasant  and  companionable  in  every  way  that  her 
feelings  allowed.  I  wish  I  were  younger  and  better 
looking,  so  it  wouldn't  all  be  a  sense  of  duty  and  grati- 
tude. Gratitude  be  hanged  !  I  don't  want  any  more  of 
it.  Well,  now,  James  Holcroft,  if  you're  the  square  man 
you  supposed  yourself  to  be,  you'll  be  just  as  kind  and 


3i6     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

considerate  as  you  know  how,  and  then  you'll  leave  Alida 
to  the  quiet,  peaceful  life  to  which  she  looked  forward 
when  she  married  you.  The  thing  for  you  to  do  is  to  go 
back  to  your  first  ways  after  you  were  married  and 
attend  to  the  farm.  She  doesn't  want  you  hanging 
around  and  looking  at  her  as  if  she  was  one  of  her  own 
posies.  That's  something  she  wasn't  led  to  expect  and  it 
would  be  mean  enough  to  force  it  upon  her  before  she 
shows  that  she  wishes  it,  and  I  couldn't  complain  if  she 
never  wished  it." 

During  the  first  hour  after  Holcroft's  departure  Alida 
had  been  perplexed  and  worried,  but  her  intuitions  soon 
led  to  hopefulness,  and  the  beauty  and  peace  of  nature 
without  aided  in  restoring  her  serenity.  The  more 
minutely  she  dwelt  on  Holcroft's  words  and  manner,  the 
more  true  it  seemed  that  he  was  learning  to  take 
an  interest  in  her  that  was  personal  and  apart  from  every 
other  consideration.  "  If  I  am  gentle,  patient,  and  faith- 
ful," she  thought,  "  all  will  come  out  right.  He  is  so  true 
and  straightforward  that  I  need  have  no  fears." 

When  he  returned  and  greeted  her  with  what  seemed 
his  old,  friendly,  natural  manner,  and,  during  a  temporary 
absence  of  Jane,  told  her  laughingly  of  the  Mumpson  epi- 
sode, she  was  almost  completely  reassured.  "  Suppose 
the  widow  breaks  through  all  restraint  and  appears  as  did 
Jane,  what  would  you  do  }  "  he  asked. 

"  Whatever  you  wished,"  she  replied,  smiling. 

"  In  other  words,  what  you  thought  your  duty  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  that  is  what  one  should  try  to  do." 

"  I  guess  you  are  the  one  that  would  succeed  in  doing 
it,  even  to  Mrs.  Mumpson,"  he  said,  turning  hastily  away 
and  going  to  his  room. 

She  was  puzzled  again.     "  I'm  sure  I  don't  dote  on  self- 


HUSBAND  AND    WIFE  IN    TROUBLE.      31? 

sacrifice  and  hard  duty  any  more  than  he  does,  but  I 
can't  tell  him  that  duty  is  not  hard  when  it's  to  him." 

Jane  was  given  the  room  over  the  kitchen  which  Mrs. 
Wiggins  had  occupied,  and  the  farmhouse  soon  adopted 
her  mto  its  quiet  routine.  Holcroft's  course  continued  to 
cause  Alida  a  dissatisfaction  which  she  could  scarcely 
define.  He  was  as  kind  as  ever  he  had  been  and  even 
more  considerate  ;  he  not  only  gratified  her  wishes,  but 
tried  to  anticipate  them,  while  Jane's  complete  subservi- 
ency proved  that  she  had  been  spoken  to  very  plainly. 

One  day  she  missed  her  spelling  lesson  for  the  third 
time,  and  Alida  told  her  that  she  must  learn  it  thoroughly 
before  going  out.  The  child  took  the  book  reluctantly, 
yet  without  a  w^ord.  '*  That's  a  good  girl !  "  said  Alida, 
wishing  to  encourage  her.  "  I  was  afraid  at  first  you 
wouldn't  mind  me  so  readily." 

"  He  told  me  to.  He'd  fire  me  out  the  window  if  I 
didn't  mind  you." 

"  Oh,  no  !     I  think  he's  very  kind  to  you." 

"  Well,  he's  kind  to  you,  too." 

"  Yes,  he  has  always  been  kind  to  me,"  said  Alida 
gently  and  lingeringly,  as  if  the  thought  were  pleasant  to 
dwell  upon. 

"Say,"  said  Jane,  yielding  to  her  curiosity,  'how  did 
you  make  him  so  afraid  of  you  when  he  don't  like  you.^ 
He  didn't  like  mother,  but  he  wasn't  afraid  of  her." 

"  Why  do  you  think  he  doesn't  like  me  .''  "  Alida  fal- 
tered, turning  very  pale. 

"  Oh !  'cause  he  looked  once  jest  as  he  did  after 
mother'd  been  goin'  for " 

"  There,  be  still !  You  mustn't  speak  of  such  things,  or 
talk  to  me  about  Mr.  Holcroft  in  such  a  way,"  and  she 
hastily  left  the  kitchen.     When  in  the  solitude  of  her  own 


31 8     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

room,  she  gave  way  to  bitter  tears.  "  Is  it  so  plain/'  slit 
thought, "  that  even  this  ignorant  child  sees  it  ?  And  the 
unhappy  change  began  the  day  she  came,  too.  I  can't 
understand  it.  We  were  so  happy  before;  and  he 
seemed  to  enjoy  being  near  me  and  talking  to  me  when 
his  work  permitted.  He  used  to  look  into  my  eyes  in  a 
way  that  made  me  hope  and,  indeed,  feel  almost  sure.  I 
receive  no  more  such  looks  ;  he  seems  only  trying  to  do 
his  duty  by  me  as  he  promised  at  first,  and  acts  as  if  it 
were  all  duty,  a  mere  matter  of  conscience.  Could  he 
have  discovered  how  I  felt,  and  so  is  taking  this  way  to 
remind  me  that  nothing  of  the  kind  was  in  our  agree- 
ment .'*  Well,  I've  no  reason  to  complain;  I  accepted 
the  relation  of  my  own  free  will,  but  it's  hard,  hard 
indeed  for  a  woman  who  loves  a  man  with  her  whole 
heart  and  soul — and  he  her  husband — to  go  on  meeting 
him  day  after  day,  yet  act  as  if  she  were  his  mere  busi- 
ness partner.  But  I  can't  help  myself ;  my  very  nature, 
as  well  as  a  sense  of  his  rights,  prevents  me  from  asking 
more  or  even  showing  that  I  wish  for  more.  That  would 
be  asking  for  it.  But  can  it  be  true  that  he  is  positively 
learning  to  dislike  me  ?  to  shrink  from  me  with  that 
strong  repulsion  which  women  feel  toward  some  men  } 
Oh  !  if  that  is  true,  the  case  is  hopeless  ;  it  would  kill  me. 
Every  effort  to  win  him,  even  the  most  delicate  and 
unobtrusive,  would  only  drive  him  farther  away  ;  the 
deepest  instincts  of  his  soul  would  lead  him  to  withdraw 
—to  shun  me.  If  this  is  true,  the  time  may  come  when, 
so  far  from  my  filling  his  home  with  comfort,  I  shall 
make  him  dread  to  enter  it.  Oh,  oh  !  my  only  course  is 
to  remember  just  what  I  promised  and  he  expected  when 
he  married  me,  and  live  up  to  that." 

Thus  husband  and  wife  reached  the  same  conclusion 
and  were  rendered  equally  unhappy. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

holcroft's  best  hope. 

When  Holcroft  came  in  to  dinner  that  day  the  view 
he  had  adopted  was  confirmed,  yet  Alida's  manner  and 
appearance  began  to  trouble  him.  Even  to  his  rather 
slow  perception,  she  did  not  seem  so  happy  as  she  had 
been.  She  did  not  meet  his  eye  with  her  old  frank, 
friendly,  and  as  he  had  almost  hoped,  affectionate,  ex- 
pression ;  she  seemed  merely  feverishly  anxious  to  do 
everything  and  have  all  as  he  wished.  Instead  of  acting 
with  natural  ease  and  saying  what  was  in  her  mind  with- 
out premeditation,  a  conscious  effort  was  visible  and  an 
apparent  solicitude  that  he  should  be  satisfied.  The 
inevitable  result  was  that  he  was  more  dissatisfied. 
"  She's  doing  her  best  for  me,"  he  growled,  as  he  went 
back  to  his  work,  "  and  it  begins  to  look  as  if  it  might 
wear  her  out  in  time.  Confound  it  !  having  everything 
just  so  isn't  of  much  account  when  a  man's  heart-hungry. 
I'd  rather  have  had  one  of  her  old  smiles  and  gone  with- 
out my  dinner.  Well,  well ;  how  little  a  man  understands 
himself  or  knows  the  future  !  The  day  I  married  her  I 
was  in  mortal  dread  lest  she  should  care  for  me  too 
much  and  want  to  be  affectionate  and  all  that ;  and  here 
I  am,  discontented  and  moping  because  everything  has 
turned  out  as  I  then  wished.  Don't  see  as  I'm  to  blame, 
either.  She  had  no  business  to  grow  so  pretty.  Then 
she  looked  like  a  ghost,  but  now  when  the  color  comes 


320     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE, 

into  her  cheeks,  and  her  blue  eyes  sparkle,  a  man  would 
be  a  stupid  clod  if  he  didn't  look  with  all  his  eyes  and 
feel  his  heart  a-thumping.  That  she  should  change  so 
wasn't  in  the  bargain  ;  neither  was  it  that  she  should 
read  aloud  in  such  sweet  tones  that  a  fellow'd  like  to  lis- 
ten to  the  dictionary ;  nor  that  she  should  make  the 
house  and  yard  look  as  they  never  did  before,  and, 
strangest  of  all,  open  my  eyes  to  the  fact  that  apple  trees 
bear  flowers  as  well  as  pippins.  I  can't  even  go  by  a 
wild  posy  in  the  lane  without  thinking  she'd  like  it  and 
see  in  it  a  sight  more  than  I  once  could.  I've  been  taken 
in,  as  old  Jonathan  feared,"  he  muttered,  following  out 
his  fancy  with  a  sort  of  grim  humor.  "  She  isn't  the 
woman  I  thought  I  was  marrying  at  all,  and  I  aint 
bound  by  my  agreement — not  in  my  thoughts,  anyhow, 
I'd  have  been  in  a  nice  scrape  if  I'd  taken  my  little  affi- 
davit not  to  think  of  her  or  look  upon  her  in  any  other 
light  than  that  of  housekeeper  and  butter-maker.  It  s  a 
scary  thing,  this  getting  married  with  a  single  eye  to 
business.  See  where  I  am  now !  Hanged  if  I  don't 
believe  I'm  in  love  with  my  wife,  and,  like  a  thundering 
fool,  I  had  to  warn  her  against  falling  in  love  with  me  ! 
Little  need  of  that,  though.  She  hasn't  been  taken  in, 
for  I'm  the  same  old  chap  she  married,  and  I'd  be  a 
mighty  mean  cuss  if  I  went  to  her  and  said,  '  Here,  I 
want  you  to  do  twice  as  much,  a  hundred-fold  as  much 
as  you  agreed  to.'  I'd  be  a  fool,  too,  for  she  couldn't  do 
it  unless  something  drew  her  toward  me  just  as  I'm 
drawn  toward  her." 

Late  in  the  afternoon  he  leaned  on  the  handle  of  his 
corn-plow,  and,  in  the  consciousness  of  solitude,  said 
aloud  :  "  Things  grow  clear  if  you  think  of  them  enough, 
and   the   Lord  knows   I  don't   think  of  much  else  any 


HOLCROFT'S  BEST  HOPE.  321 

more-  It  isn't  her  good  qualities  which  I  say  over  to 
myself  a  hundred  times  a  day,  or  her  education,  or  any- 
thing of  the  kind,  that  draws  me  ;  it's  she  herself.  I  like 
her.  Why  don't  I  say  love  her,  and  be  honest  .'*  Well, 
it's  a  fact,  and  I've  got  to  face  it.  Here  I  am,  plowing 
out  my  corn,  and  it  looks  splendid  for  its  age.  I  thought 
if  I  could  stay  on  the  old  place,  and  plant  and  cultivate 
and  reap,  I'd  be  more  than  content,  and  now  I  don't  seem 
to  care  a  rap  for  the  corn  or  the  farm  either,  compared 
with  Alida;  and  I  care  for  her  just  because  she  is  Alida 
and  no  one  else.  But  the  other  side  of  this  fact  has  an 
ugly  look.  Suppose  I'm  disagreeable  to  her!  When  she 
married  me  she  felt  like  a  woman  drowning ;  she  was 
ready  to  take  hold  of  the  first  hand  reached  to  her,  with- 
out knowing  much  about  whose  hand  it  was.  Well,  she's 
had  time  to  find  out.  She  isn't  drawn.  Perhaps  she  feels 
toward  me  somewhat  as  I  did  toward  Mrs.  Mumpson, 
and  she  can't  help  herself  either.  Well,  well,  the  bare 
thought  of  it  makes  my  heart  lead.  What's  a  man  to 
do  }  What  can  I  do  but  live  up  to  my  agreement  and 
not  torment  her  any  more  than  I  can  help  with  my  com- 
pany }  That's  the  only  honest  course.  Perhaps  she'll  get 
more  used  to  me  in  time.  She  might  get  sick,  and  then 
I'd  be  so  kind  and  watchful  that  she'd  think  the  old  fel- 
low wasn't  so  bad,  after  all.  But  I  shan't  give  her  the 
comfort  of  no  end  of  self-sacrifice  in  trying  to  be  pleasant 
and  sociable.  If  she's  foolish  enough  to  think  she's  in 
my  debt  she  can't  pay  it  in  that  way.  No,  sir !  I've  got 
to  make  the  most  of  it  now— I'm  bound  to— but  this 
business  marriage  will  never  suit  me  until  the  white  arm 
I  saw  in  the  dairy  room  is  around  my  neck,  and  she 
looks  in  my  eyes  and  says,  '  James,  I  guess  I'm  ready  for 
a  longer  marriage  ceremony.'  " 


322      HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

It  was  a  pity  that  Alida  could  not  have  been  among 
the  hazelnut  bushes  near  and  heard  him. 

He  resumed  his  toil,  working  late  and  doggedly.  At 
supper  he  was  very  attentive  to  Alida,  but  taciturn  and 
preoccupied ;  and  when  the  meal  was  over  he  lighted  his 
pipe  and  strolled  out  into  the  moonlight.  She  longed  to 
follow  him,  yet  felt  it  to  be  more  impossible  than  if  she 
were  chained  to  the  floor. 

And  so  the  days  passed  ;  Holcroft  striving  with  the  whole 
force  of  his  will  to  appear  absorbed  in  the  farm,  and  she, 
with  equal  effort,  to  seem  occupied  and  contented  with 
her  household  and  dairy  duties.  They  did  everything  for 
each  other  that  they  could,  and  yet  each  thought  that  the 
other  was  acting  from  a  sense  of  obligation,  and  so  all 
the  more  sedulously  veiled  their  actual  thoughts  and 
feelings  from  each  other.  Of  course,  such  mistaken 
effort  only  led  to  a  more  complete  misunderstanding. 

With  people  of  their  simplicity  and  habit  of  reticence, 
little  of  what  was  in  their  hearts  appeared  on  the  surface. 
Neither  had  time  to  mope,  and  their  mutual  duties  were 
in  a  large  measure  a  support  and  refuge.  Of  these  they 
could  still  speak  freely,  for  they  pertained  to  business. 
Alida's  devotion  to  her  work  w^as  unfeigned,  for  it  seemed 
now  her  only  avenue  of  approach  to  her  husband.  She 
watched  over  the  many  broods  of  little  chickens  with 
tireless  vigilance.  If  it  were  yellow  gold,  she  could 
not  have  gathered  the  butter  from  the  churn  with  greater 
greed.  She  kept  the  house  immaculate  and  sought  to 
develop  her  cooking  into  a  fine  art.  She  was  scrupulous 
in  giving  Jane  her  lessons  and  trying  to  correct  her  ver- 
nacular and  manners,  but  the  presence  of  the  child  grew 
to  be  a  heavier  cross  eveiy  day.  She  could  not  blame 
the  girl,  whose  misfortune  it  was  to  lead  incidentally  to 


HOLCROFT'S  BEST  HOPE.  3^3 

the  change  in  Holcroft's  manner,  yet  it  was  impossible 
not  to  associate  her  with  the  beginning  of  that  change. 
Jane  was  making  decided  improvement,  and  had  Alida 
been  happy  and  at  rest  this  fact  would  have  given  much 
satisfaction  in  spite  of  the  instinctive  repugnance  which 
the  girl  seemed  to  inspire  universally.  Holcroft  recog- 
nized this  repugnance  and  the  patient  effort  to  disguise  it 
and  be  kind. 

"  Like  enough  she  feels  in  the  same  way  toward  me,"  he 
thought,  "  and  is  trying  a  sight  harder  not  to  show  it.  But 
she  seems  willing  enough  to  talk  business  and  to  keep  up 
her  interest  in  the  partnership  line.  Well,  blamed  if  I 
wouldn't  rather  talk  business  to  her  than  love  to  any  other 
woman  ! " 

So  it  gradually  came  about  that  they  had  more  and 
more  to  say  to  each  other  on  matters  relating  to  the 
farm.  Holcroft  showed  her  the  receipts  from  the  dairy, 
and  her  eyes  sparkled  as  if  he  had  brought  jewels  home 
to  her.  Then  she  in  turn  would  expatiate  on  the  poultry 
interests  and  assure  him  that  there  were  already  nearly 
two  hundred  little  chicks  on  the  place.  One  afternoon, 
during  a  shower,  she  ventured  to  beguile  him  into  listen- 
ing to  the  greater  part  of  one  of  the  agricultural  journals, 
and  with  much  deference  made  two  or  three  suggestions 
about  the  farm,  which  he  saw  were  excellent.  She  little 
dreamed  that  if  she  were  willing  to  talk  of  turning  the 
farm  upside  down  and  inside  out,  he  would  have  listened 
with  pleasure. 

They  both  began  to  acquire  more  serenity  and  hopeful- 
ness, for  even  this  sordid  business  partnership  was  grow- 
ing strangely  interesting.  The  meals  grew  less  and  less 
silent,  and  the  farmer  would  smoke  his  pipe  invitingly 
near  in  the  evening,  so  that  she  could  resume  their  talk 


324     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

on  bucolic  subjects  without  much  conscious  effort,  while 
at  the  same  time,  if  she  did  not  wish  his  society,  she 
could  shun  it  without  discourtesy.  He  soon  perceived 
that  she  needed  some  encouragement  to  talk  even  of 
farm  matters  ;  but,  having  received  it,  that  she  showed  no 
further  reluctance.  He  naturally  began  to  console  him- 
self with  business  as  unstintedly  as  he  dared.  "  As  long 
as  I  keep  on  this  tack  all  seems  well,"  he  muttered. 
"  She  don't  act  as  if  I  was  disagreeable  to  her,  but  then 
how  can  a  man  tell  ?  If  she  thinks  it  her  duty,  she'll 
talk  and  smile,  yet  shiver  at  the  very  thought  of  my 
touching  her.  Well,  well,  time  will  show.  We  seem  to 
be  getting  more  sociable,  anyhow." 

They  both  recognized  this  fact  and  tried  to  disguise  it 
and  to  relieve  themselves  from  the  appearance  of  making 
any  undue  advances  by  greater  formality  of  address.  In 
Jane's  presence  he  had  formed  the  habit  of  speaking  to 
his  wife  as  Mrs.  Holcroft,  and  now  he  was  invariably 
"  Mr." 

One  evening,  in  the  latter  part  of  June,  he  remarked  at 
supper,  •'  I  must  give  half  a  day  to  hoeing  the  garden  to- 
morrow. I've  been  so  busy  working  out  the  corn  and 
potatoes  that  it  seems  an  age  since  I've  been  in  the 
garden." 

"  She  and  me,"  began  Jane,  "  I  mean  Mrs.  Holcroft 
and  I,  have  been  in  the  garden." 

"  That's  right,  Jane,  you're  coming  on.  I  think  your 
improved  talk  and  manners  do  Mrs.  Holcroft  much  credit. 
I'd  like  to  take  some  lessons  myself."  Then,  as  if  a  little 
alarmed  at  his  words,  he  hastened  to  ask,  "  What  have 
you  been  doing  in  the  garden  ?  " 

"You'll  see  when  you  go  there,"  replied  Jane,  her  small 
eyes  twinkling  with  the  rudiments  of  fun. 


HOLCROFT'S  BEST  HOPE.  325 

Holcroft  looked  at  the  child  as  if  he  had  not  seen  her 
for  some  time  either.  Her  hair  was  neatly  combed, 
braided,  and  tied  with  a  blue  ribbon  instead  of  a  string, 
her  gown  was  as  becoming  as  any  dress  could  be  to  her, 
her  little  brown  hands  were  clean,  and  they  no  longer 
managed  the  knife  and  fork  in  an  ill-bred  manner.  The 
very  expression  of  the  child's  face  was  changing,  and  now 
that  it  was  lighted  up  with  mirth  at  the  little  surprise 
awaiting  him,  it  had  at  least  attained  the  negative  grace 
of  being  no  longer  repulsive.  He  sighed  involuntarily  as 
he  turned  away.  "  Just  see  what  she's  doing  for  that 
child  that  I  once  thought  hideous  !  How  much  she  might 
do  for  me  if  she  cared  as  I  do  !  " 

He  rose  from  the  table,  lighted  his  pipe,  and  went  out 
to  the  doorstep.  Alida  looked  at  him  wistfully.  "  He 
stood  there  with  me  once  and  faced  a  mob  of  men,"  she 
thought.  "  Then  he  put  his  arm  around  me.  I  would 
face  almost  any  danger  for  even  such  a  caress  again." 
The  memory  of  that  hour  lent  her  unwonted  courage,  and 
she  approached  him  timidly  and  said,  "  Perhaps  you  would 
like  to  go  and  look  at  the  garden  }  Jane  and  I  may  not 
have  done  everything  right." 

"  Why,  certainly.  I  forgot  about  the  garden  ;  but  then 
you'll  have  to  go  with  me  if  I'm  to  tell  you." 

"  I  don't  mind,"  she  said,  leading  the  way. 

The  June  sun  was  low  in  the  west,  and  the  air  had 
become  deliciously  cool  and  fragrant.  The  old  rose- 
bushes were  in  bloom,  and  as  she  passed  she  picked  a 
bud  and  fastened  it  on  her  bosom.  Wood  thrushes, 
orioles,  and  the  whole  chorus  of  birds  were  in  full  song; 
limpid  rills  of  melody  from  the  meadow  larks  flowed  from 
the  fields,  and  the  whistling  of  the  quails  added  to  the 
harmony. 


326     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE. 

Holcroft  was  in  a  mood  of  which  he  had  never  been 
conscious  before.  These  famihar  sounds,  which  had 
been  unheeded  so  much  of  his  Hfe,  now  affected  hin^ 
strangely,  creating  an  immeasurable  sadness  and  longing. 
It  seemed  as  if  perceptions  which  were  like  new  senses 
were  awakening  in  his  mind.  The  world  was  full  of 
wonderful  beauty  before  unrecognized,  and  the  woman 
who  walked  lightly  and  gracefully  at  his  side  was  the 
crown  of  it  all.  He  himself  was  so  old,  plain,  and  unworthy 
in  contrast.  His  heart  ached  with  a  positive,  definite  pain 
that  he  was  not  younger,  handsomer,  and  better  equipped 
to  win  the  love  of  his  wife.  As  she  stood  in  the  garden, 
wearing  the  rose,  her  neat  dress  outlining  her  graceful 
form,  the  level  rays  of  the  sun  lighting  up  her  face  and 
turning  her  hair  to  gold,  he  felt  that  he  had  never  seen 
or  imagined  such  a  woman  before.  She  was  in  harmony 
with  the  June  evening  and  a  part  of  it,  while  he,  in  his 
working  clothes,  his  rugged,  sun-browned  features  and 
hair  tinged  with  gray,  was  a  blot  upon  the  scene.  She, 
who  was  so  lovely,  must  be  conscious  of  his  rude,  clown- 
ish appearance.  He  would  have  faced  any  man  living 
and  held  his  own  on  the  simple  basis  of  his  manhood. 
Anything  like  scorn,  although  veiled,  on  Alida's  part, 
would  have  touched  his  pride  and  steeled  his  will,  but 
the  words  and  manner  of  this  gentle  woman  who  tried 
to  act  as  if  blind  to  all  that  he  was  in  contrast  with  her- 
self, to  show  him  deference,  kindness,  and  good-will  when 
perhaps  she  felt  toward  him  somewhat  as  she  did  toward 
Jane,  overwhelmed  him  with  humility  and  grief.  It  is 
the  essence  of  deep,  unselfish  love  to  depreciate  itself  and 
exalt  its  object.  There  was  a  superiority  in  Alida  which 
Holcroft  was  learning  to  recognize  more  clearly  every 
day,  and   he  had   not  a  trace  of  vanity  to  sustain  him. 


HOLCROFT'S  BEST  HOPE.  3^1 

Now  he  was  in  a  mood  to  wrong  and  undervalue  himself 
without  limit. 

She  showed  him  how  much  she  and  Jane  had  accom- 
plished, how  neat  and  clean  they  had  kept  the  rows  of 
growing  vegetables,  and  how  good  the  promise  was  for 
an  indefinite  number  of  dinners,  but  she  only  added  to 
the  farmer's  depression.  He  was  in  no  mood  for  onions, 
parsnips,  and  their  vegetable  kin,  yet  thought,  "  She  thinks 
I'm  only  capable  of  being  interested  in  such  things,  and 
I've  been  at  much  pains  to  give  that  impression.  She 
picked  that  rose  for  herself,  and  now  she's  showing  me 
how  soon  we  may  hope  to  have  summer  cabbage  and 
squash.  She  thus  shows  that  she  knows  the  difference 
between  us  and  that  always  must  be  between  us,  I  fear. 
She  is  so  near  in  our  daily  life,  yet  how  can  I  ever  get  any 
nearer.^     As  I  feel  now,  it  seems  impossible." 

She  had  quickly  observed  his  depressed,  abstracted 
manner,  but  misinterpreted  the  causes.  Her  own  face 
clouded  and  grew  troubled.  Perhaps  she  was  revealing 
too  much  of  her  heart,  although  seeking  to  disguise  it  so 
sedulously,  and  he  was  penetrating  her  motives  for  doing 
so  much  in  the  garden  and  in  luring  him  thither  now. 
He  was  not  showing  much  practical  interest  in  beans  and 
beets,  and  was  evidently  oppressed  and  ill  at  ease. 

"  I  hope  we  have  done  things  right  ?  "  she  ventured, 
turning  away  to  hide  tears  of  disappointment. 

"  Her  self-sacrifice  is  giving  out,"  he  thought  bitterly. 
""  She  finds  she  can  scarcely  look  at  me  as  I  now  appear 
in  contrast  with  this  June  evening.  Well,  I  don't  blame 
her.  It  makes  me  almost  sick  when  I  think  of  myself, 
and  I  won't  be  brute  enough  to  say  a  harsh  word  to  her. 
You  have  done  it  all  far  better  than  I  could,"  he  said 
emphatically.     "  I  would  not  have  believed  it  if  you  hadn't 


328     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

shown   me.     The   trouble   is,  you   are   trying  to  do  too 
much.     I — I  think  I'll  take  a  walk." 

In  fap t,  he  had  reached  the  limit  of  endurance ;  he 
could  not  look  upon  her  another  moment  as  she  appeared 
that  evening  and  feel  that  she  associated  him  chiefly  with 
crops  and  business,  and  that  all  her  grateful  good-will 
could  not  prevent  his  personality  from  being  disagreeable. 
He  must  carry  his  bitterness  whither  no  eye  could  see 
him,  and  as  he  turned,  his  self-disgust  led  him  to  whirl 
away  his  pipe.  It  struck  a  tree  and  fell  shattered  at  its 
foot.  Alida  had  never  seen  him  do  anything  of  the  kind 
before,  and  it  indicated  that  he  was  passing  beyond 
the  limits  of  patience.  "  Oh,  oh,"  she  sobbed,  "  I  fear  we 
are  going  to  drift  apart  !  If  he  can't  endure  to  talk 
with  me  about  such  things,  what  chance  have  I  at  all  > 
I  hoped  that  the  hour,  the  beauty  of  the  evening,  and  the 
evidence  that  I  had  been  trying  so  hard  to  please  him 
would  make  him  more  like  what  he  used  to  be  before  he 
seemed  to  take  a  dislike.  There's  only  one  way  to 
account  for  it  all — he  sees  how  I  feel  and  he  don't  like  it. 
My  very  love  sets  him  against  me.  My  heart  was  over- 
flowing to-night.  How  could  I  help  it,  as  I  remembered 
how  he  stood  up  for  me  }  He  was  brave  and  kind  ;  he 
meant  well  by  me,  he  means  well  now  ;  but  he  can't  help), 
his  feelings.  He  has  gone  away  now  to  think  of  the 
woman  that  he  did  love  and  loves  still,  and  it  angers  hinrx 
that  I  should  think  of  taking  her  place.  He  loved  her  as 
a  child  and  girl  and  woman — he  told  me  so  ;  he  warned 
me  and  said  he  could  not  help  thinking  of  her.  If  I  had 
not  learned  to  love  him  so  deeply  and  passionately,  and 
show  it  in  spite  of  myself,  time  would  gradually  have 
softened  the  past  and  all  might  have  gone  well.  Yet  how- 
could  I  help  it  when  he  saved  me  from  so  much  ?     I  feel 


HOLCROFT'S  BEST  HOPE.  3^9 

to-night,  though,  that  I  only  escaped  one  kind  of  trouble 
to  meet  another  almost  as  bad  and  which  may  become 
worse." 

She  strolled  to  the  farther  end  of  the  garden  that  she 
might  become  calm  before  meeting  Jane's  scrutiny.  Use- 
less precaution  !  for  the  girl  had  been  watching  them 
both.  Her  motive  had  not  been  unmixed  curiosity, 
since,  having  taken  some  part  in  the  garden  work,  she 
had  wished  to  witness  Holcroft's  pleasure  and  hear  his 
praises.  Since  the  actors  in  the  scene  so  misunderstood 
each  other,  she  certainly  would  not  rightly  interpret 
them.  "She's  losin'  her  hold  on  'im,"  she  thought. 
*'  He  acted  just  as  if  she  was  mother." 

When  Jane  saw  Alida  coming  toward  the  house  she 
whisked  from  the  concealing  shrubbery  to  the  kitchen 
again  and  was  stolidly  washing  the  dishes  when  her  mis- 
tress entered.  "  You  are  slow  to-night,"  said  Alida, 
looking  at  the  child  keenly,  but  the  impassive  face 
revealed  nothing.  She  set  about  helping  the  girl,  feeling 
it  would  be  a  relief  to  keep  her  hands  busy. 

Jane's  efforts  to  comfort  were  always  maladroit,  yet 
the  apparent  situation  so  interested  her  that  she  yielded 
to  her  inclination  to  talk.  "  Say,"  she  began,  and  Alida 
was  too  dejected  and  weary  to  correct  the  child's  verna- 
cular, "  Mr.  Holcroft's  got  somethin'  on  his  mind." 

"  Well,  that's  not  strange." 

"No,  s'pose  not.  Hate  to  see  'im  look  so,  though. 
He  always  used  to  look  so  when  mother  went  for  'im 
and  hung  around  'im.  At  last  he  cleared  mother  out, 
and  just  before  he  looked  as  black  as  he  did  when  he 
passed  the  house  while  ago.  You're  good  to  me,  an'  I'd 
like  you  to  stay.     'Fi's  you  I'd  leave  'im  alone." 

"  Jane,"  said  Alida  coldly,  "  I  don't  wish  you  ever  to 


33°     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE. 

speak  to  me  of  such  things  again,"  and  she  hastily  left 
the  room. 

*'  Oh,  well !  "  muttered  Jane,  "  I've  got  eyes  in  my 
head.  If  you're  goin'  to  be  foolish,  like  mother,  and 
keep  a-goin'  for  'im,  it's  your  lookout.  I  kin  get  along 
with  him  and  he  with  me,  and  Pvi  goin'  to  stay." 

Holcroft  strode  rapidly  up  the  lane  to  the  deep  soli- 
tude at  the  edge  of  his  woodland.  Beneath  him  lay  the 
farm  and  the  home  that  he  had  married  to  keep,  yet  now, 
without  a  second's  hesitation,  he  would  part  with  all  to 
call  his  wife  wife.  How  little  the  name  now  satisfied 
him,  without  the  sweet  realities  of  which  the  word  is 
significant !  The  term  and  relation  had  become  a  mock- 
ing mirage.  He  almost  cursed  himself  that  he  had 
exulted  over  his  increasing  bank  account  and  general 
prosperity,  and  had  complacently  assured  himself  that 
she  was  doing  just  what  he  had  asked,  without  any 
sentimental  nonsense.  *'  How  could  I  expect  it  to  turn 
out  otherwise  ?  "  he  thought.  "  From  the  first  I  made 
her  think  I  hadn't  a  soul  for  anything  but  crops  and 
money.  Now  that  she's  getting  over  her  trouble  and 
away  from  it,  she's  more  able  to  see  just  what  I  am,  or 
at  least  what  she  naturally  thinks  I  am.  But  she  doesn't 
understand  me — I  scarcely  understand  myself.  I  long 
to  be  a  different  man  in  every  way,  and  not  to  work  and 
live  like  an  ox.  Here  are  some  of  my  crops  almost  ready 
to  gather  and  they  never  were  better,  yet  I've  no  heart  for 
the  work.  Seems  to  me  it  '11  wear  me  out  if  I  have  to 
carry  this  load  of  trouble  all  the  time.  I  thought  my  old 
burdens  hard  to  bear ;  I  thought  I  was  lonely  before, 
but  it  was  nothing  compared  with  living  near  one  you 
love,  but  from  whom  you  are  cut  off  by  something  you 
ean't  see,  yet  must  feel  to  the  bottom  of  your  heart." 


HOLCROFT'S  BEST  HOPE.  ZZ^i^ 

His  distraught  eyes  rested  on  the  church  spire,  fading 
in  the  twilight,  and  the  Httle  adjoining  graveyard.  "  Oh 
Bessie,"  he  groaned,  "  why  did  you  die  ?  I  was  good 
enough  {qx you.  Oh  !  that  all  had  gone  on  as  it  was  and 
I  had  never  known " 

He  stopped,  shook  his  head,  and  was  silent.  At  last 
he  sighed,  "  I  did  love  Bessie.  I  love  and  respect  her 
memory  as  much  as  ever.  But  somehow  I  never  felt  as 
I  do  now.  All  was  quiet  and  matter-of-fact  in  those 
days,  yet  it  was  real  and  satisfying.  I  was  content  to 
live  on,  one  day  like  another,  to  the  end  of  my  days.  H 
I  hadn't  been  so  content  it  would  be  better  for  me  now. 
I'd  have  a  better  chance  if  I  had  read  more,  thought  more, 
and  fitted  myself  to  be  more  of  a  companion  for  a  woman 
like  Alida.  If  I  knew  a  great  deal  and  could  talk  well, 
she  might  forget  I'm  old  and  homely.  Bessie  was  so 
true  a  friend  that  she  would  wish,  if  she  knows,  what  / 
wish.  I  thought  I  needed  a  housekeeper  ;  I  find  I  need 
more  than  all  else  such  a  wife  as  Alida  could  be — one 
that  could  help  me  to  be  a  man  instead  of  a  drudge,  a 
Christian  instead  of  a  discontented  and  uneasy  unbe- 
liever. At  one  time,  it  seemed  that  she  was  leading  me 
along  so  naturally  and  pleasantly  that  I  never  was  so 
happy ;  then  all  at  once  it  came  to  me  that  she  was  do- 
ing it  from  gratitude  and  a  sense  of  duty,  and  the  duty 
grows  harder  for  her  every  day.  Well,  there  seems 
nothing  for  it  now  but  to  go  on  as  we  began  and  hope 
that  the  future  will  bring  us  more  in  sympathy." 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

"  NEVER ! " 

For  the  next  two  or  three  days  Jane  had  no  occasion 
to  observe  that  Alida  was  in  the  least  degree  obtrusive 
in  her  attention  to  the  farmer.  She  was  assiduous  in  her 
work  and  more  diligent  than  ever  in  her  conscious  efforts 
to  do  what  she  thought  he  wished ;  but  she  was  grow- 
ing pale,  constrained,  and  silent.  She  struggled  heroic- 
ally to  appear  as  at  first,  but  without  much  success,  for 
she  could  not  rally  from  the  wound  he  had  given  her  so 
unintentionally  and  which  Jane's  words  had  deepened. 
She  almost  loathed  herself  under  her  association  with 
Mrs.  iMumpson,  and  her  morbid  thoughts  had  hit  upon  a 
worse  reason  for  Holcroft's  apparent  repulsion.  As  she 
questioned  everything  in  the  sleepless  hours  that  followed 
the  interview  in  the  garden,  she  came  to  the  miserable 
conclusion  that  he  had  discovered  her  love,  and  that  by 
suggestion,  natural  to  his  mind,  it  reminded  him  of  her 
pitiful  story.  He  could  be  sorry  for  her  and  be  kind  ;  he 
could  even  be  her  honest  friend  and  protector  as  a 
wronged  and  unhappy  woman,  but  he  could  not  love  one 
with  a  history  like  hers  and  did  not  wish  her  to  love  him. 
This  seemed  an  adequate  explanation  of  the  change 
in  their  relations,  but  she  felt  that  it  was  one  under 
which  her  life  would  wither  and  her  heart  break.  This 
promised  to  be  worse  than  what  she  had  dreaded  at  the 


''NEVER!"  333 

almshouse — the  facing  the  world  alone  and  working  till 
she  died  among  strangers.  The  fact  that  they  were 
strangers  would  enable  her  to  see  their  averted  faces 
with  comparative  indifference,  but  that  the  man  to  whom 
she  had  yielded  her  whole  heart  should  turn  away  was 
intolerable.  She  felt  that  he  could  not  do  this  willingly 
but  only  under  the  imperious  instincts  of  his  nature — 
that  he  was  virtually  helpless  in  the  matter.  There  was 
an  element  in  these  thoughts  which  stung  her  woman's 
soul,  and,  as  we  have  said,  she  could  not  rally. 

Holcroft  never  suspected  her  morbid  thoughts,  and  his 
loyal,  loving  heart  was  incapable  of  dreaming  of  them. 
He  only  grew  more  unhappy  as  he  saw  the  changes  in 
her,  for  he  regarded  himself  as  the  cause.  Yet  he  was 
perplexed  and  unable  to  account  for  her  rapidly  increas- 
ing pallor  while  he  continued  so  kind,  considerate,  and 
especially  so  unobtrusive.  He  assuredly  thought  he  was 
showing  a  disposition  to  give  her  all  the  time  she  wished 
to  become  reconciled  to  her  lot.  "  Thunder  !  "  he  said 
to  himself,  "  we  can't  grow  old  together  without  getting- 
used  to  each  other." 

On  Saturday  noon,  at  dinner,  he  remarked,  "  I  shall 
have  to  begin  haying  on  Monday  and  so  I'll  take  every- 
thing to  town  this  afternoon,  for  I  won't  be  able  to  go 
again  for  some  days.  Is  there  anything  you'd  like  me  to 
get,  Mrs.  Holcroft  ?  " 

She  shook  her  head.  "  I  don't  need  anything,"  she 
replied.  He  looked  at  her  downcast  face  with  troubled 
eyes  and  shivered.  "  She  looks  as  if  she  were  going  to 
be  sick,"  he  thought.  "Good  Lord!  I  feel  as  if  theie 
was  nothing  but  trouble  ahead.  Every  mouthful  I  take 
seems  to  choke  me." 

A  little  later  he  pushed  away  almost  untasted  a  piece 


334     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

of  delicious  cherry  pie,  the  first  of  the  season.  AHda 
could  scarcely  keep  the  tears  back  as  she  thought, "  There 
was  a  time  when  he  would  have  praised  it  without  stint. 
I  took  so  much  pains  with  it  in  the  hope  he'd  notice,  for 
he  once  said  he  was  very  fond  of  it,"  Such  were  the 
straws  that  were  indicating  the  deep,  dark  currents. 

As  he  rose,  she  said  almost  apathetically  in  her  dejec- 
tion, "  Mr.  Holcroft,  Jane  and  I  picked  a  basket  of  the 
early  cherries.  You  may  as  well  sell  them,  for  there  are 
plenty  left  on  the  tree  for  use." 

"  That  was  too  much  for  you  to  do  in  the  hot  sun. 
Well,  I'll  sell  'em  and  add  what  they  bring  to  your  ^gg 
money  in  the  bank.  You'll  get  rich,"  he  continued,  trying 
to  smile,  "  if  you  don't  spend  more." 

"  I  don't  wish  to  spend  anything,"  she  said,  turning 
away  with  the  thought,  "  How  can  he  tiiink  I  want  finery 
when  my  heart  is  breaking?" 

Holcroft  drove  away,  looking  and  feeling  as  if  he  were 
going  to  a  funeral.  At  last  he  broke  out,  "  I  can't  stand 
this  another  day.  To-morrow's  Sunday,  and  I'll  manage 
to  send  Jane  somewhere  or  take  Alida  out  to  walk  and 
tell  her  the  whole  truth.  She  shall  be  made  to  see  that 
I  can't  help  myself  and  that  I'm  willing  to  do  anything 
she  wishes.  She's  married  to  me  and  has  got  to  make 
■£he  best  of  it,  and  I'm  sure  I'm  willing  to  make  it  as  easy 
^s  I  can." 

Jane  was  a  little  perplexed  at  the  condition  of  affairs, 
Mrs.  Holcroft  had  left  her  husband  alone  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, as  she  had  advised,  but  apparently  it  had  not 
helped  matters  much.  But  she  believed  that  the  trouble 
she  had  witnessed  boded  her  no  ill  and  so  was  inclined 
to  regard  it  philosophically.  "  He  looks  almost  as  glum, 
when  he's  goin'  round  alone,  as  if  he'd  married  mother. 


''NEVER!"  335 

She  talked  too  much,  and  that  didn't  please  him ;  this  one 
talks  less  and  less,  and  he  don't  seem  pleased,  nulher, 
but  it  seems  to  me  he's  very  foolish  to  be  so  fault-findin' 
when  she  does  everything  for  him  top-notch.  I  never 
lived  so  well  in  my  life,  nor  he,  nuther,  I  believe.  He 
must  be  in  a  bad  way  when  he  couldn't  eat  that  cherry 
pie." 

Alida  was  so  weary  and  felt  so  ill  that  she  went  to  the 
parlor  and  lay  down  upon  the  lounge.  "  My  heart  feels 
as  if  it  were  bleeding  slowly  away,"  she  murmured.  "  If 
I'm  going  to  be  sick  the  best  thing  I  can  do  is  to  die  and 
end  it  all,"  and  she  gave  way  to  that  deep  dejection  in 
which  there  seems  no  remedy  for  trouble. 

The  hours  dragged  slowly  by  ;  Jane  finished  her  house- 
hold tasks  very  leisurely,  then  taking  a  basket,  went  out 
to  the  garden  to  pick  some  early  peas.  While  thus 
engaged,  she  saw  a  man  coming  up  the  lane.  His 
manner  instantly  riveted  her  attention  and  awakened  her 
curiosity,  and  she  crouched  lower  behind  the  pea  vines 
for  concealment.  All  her  furtive,  watchful  instincts  were 
awake,  and  her  conscience  was  clear,  too,  for  certainly 
she  had  a  right  to  spy  upon  a  stranger. 

The  man  seemed  almost  as  furtive  as  herself ;  his 
eyes  were  everywhere  and  his  step  slow  and  hesitating. 
Instead  of  going  directly  to  the  house  he  cautiously 
entered  the  barn,  and  she  heard  him  a  little  later  call  Mr. 
Holcroft.  Of  course  there  was  no  answer,  and,  as  if  re- 
assured, he  approached  the  house,  looking  here  and  there 
on  every  side,  seemingly  to  see  if  anyone  was  about. 
Jane  had  associated  with  men  and  boys  too  long  to  have 
any  childlike  timidity,  and  she  also  had  just  confidence 
in  her  skulking  and  running  powers.  "  After  all,  he 
don't   want   nothin'   of   me   and   won't    hurt  me,"   she 


336      HE  FELL  LN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

reasoned.  "  He  acts  mighty  queer  though,  and  I'm  goin' 
to  hear  what  he  says." 

The  moment  he  passed  the  angle  of  the  house  she 
dodged  around  to  its  rear  and  stole  into  the  dair}^  room, 
being  well  aware  that  from  this  position  she  could  over- 
hear words  spoken  in  ordinary  conversational  tones  in 
the  apartment  above.  She  had  barely  gained  her  ambush 
when  she  heard  Alida  half  shriek,  "  Henry  Ferguson  !  " 

It  was  indeed  the  man  who  had  deceived  her  that 
had  stolen  upon  her  solitude.  His  somewhat  stealthy 
approach  had  been  due  to  the  wish  and  expectation  of 
finding  her  alone,  and  he  had  about  convinced  himself 
that  she  was  so  by  exploring  the  barn  and  observing  the 
absence  of  the  horses  and  wagon.  Cunning  and  un- 
scrupulous, it  was  his  plan  to  appear  before  the  woman 
who  had  thought  herself  his  wife,  without  any  warning 
whatever,  believing  that  in  the  tumult  of  her  surprise 
and  shock  she  would  be  off  her  guard  and  that  her  old 
affection  would  reassert  itself.  He  passed  through  the 
kitchen  to  the  parlor  door.  Alida,  in  her  deep,  painful 
abstraction,  did  not  hear  him  until  he  stood  in  the  door- 
way, and,  with  outstretched  arms,  breathed  her  name. 
Then,  as  if  struck  a  blow,  she  had  sprung  to  her  feet, 
half  shrieked  his  name  and  stood  panting,  regarding  him 
as  if  he  were  a  specter, 

"  Your  surprise  is  natural,  Alida,  dear,"  he  said  gently, 
*'  but  I've  a  right  to  come  to  you,  for  my  wife  is  dead." 
and  he  advanced  toward  her. 

*'  Stand  back  !  "  she  cried  sternly.  "  You've  no  right, 
and  never  can  have." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  have  !  "  he  replied  in  a  wheedling  tone. 
"  Come,  come  !  your  nerves  are  shaken.  Sit  down,  for 
I've  much  to  tell  you." 


''NEVER!"  337 

"  No,  I  won't  sit  down,  and  I  tell  you  to  leave  me 
instantly.  You've  no  right  here  and  I  no  right  to  listen 
to  you." 

"I  can  soon  prove  that  you  have  abetter  right  to  listen 
to  me  than  to  anyone  else.  Were  we  not  married  by  a 
minister  }  " 

"  Yes,  but  that  made  no  difference.  You  deceived 
both  him  and  me." 

"  It  made  no  difference,  perhaps,  in  the  eye  of  the  law, 
while  that  woman  you  saw  was  living,  but  she's  dead,  as 
I  can  easily  prove.  How  were  you  married  to  this  man 
Holcroft  ?  " 

Alida  grew  dizzy  ;  everything  whirled  and  grew  black 
before  her  eyes  as  she  sank  into  a  chair.  He  came  to  her 
and  took  her  hand,  but  his  touch  was  a  most  effectual 
restorative.  She  threw  his  hand  away  and  said  hoarsely, 
"  Do  you — do  you  mean  that  you  have  any  claim  on 
me  ?  " 

*'  Who  has  a  better  claim  ?  "  he  asked  cunningly.  "  I 
loved  you  when  I  married  you  and  I  love  you  now.  Do 
you  think  I  rested  a  moment  after  I  was  free  from  the 
woman  I  detested  ?  No,  indeed  ;  nor  did  I  rest  till  I 
found  out  who  took  you  from  the  almshouse  to  be  his 
household  drudge,  not  wife.  I've  seen  the  justice  who 
aided  in  the  wedding  farce,  and  learned  how  this  man 
Holcroft  made  him  cut  down  even  the  ceremony  of  a  civil 
marriage  to  one  sentence.  It  was  positively  heathenish, 
and  he  only  took  you  because  he  couldn't  get  a  decent 
servant  to  live  with  him." 

"O  God!"  murmured  the  stricken  woman.  "Can 
such  a  horrible  thing  be  ?  " 

"  So  it  seems,"  he  resumed,  misinterpreting  her. 
"Come  now!"  he   said  confidently,  and   sitting   down, 


338     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE. 

"don't  look  so  broken  up  about  it.  Even  while  that 
woman  was  living  I  felt  that  I  was  married  to  you  and 
you  only;  now  that  I'm  free " 

"But  I'm  not  free  and  don't  wish  to  be." 

"  Don't  be  foolish,  Alida.  You  know  this  farmer  don't 
care  a  rap  for  you.     Own  up  now,  does  he  7  " 

The  answer  was  a  low,  half-despairing  cry. 

"  There,  I  knew  it  was  so.  What  else  could  you 
expect  ?  Don't  you  see  I'm  your  true  refuge  and  not  this 
hard-hearted,  money-grasping  farmer  }  " 

"  Stop  speaking  against  him  !  "  she  cried.  "  O  God  ! " 
she  wailed,  "  can  the  law  give  this  man  any  claim  on  me, 
now  his  wife  is  dead  }  " 

"  Yes,  and  one  I  mean  to  enforce,"  he  replied 
doggedly. 

"  I  don't  believe  she's  dead,  I  don't  believe  anything 
you  say !    You  deceived  me  once." 

"  I'm  not  deceiving  you  now,  Alida,"  he  said  with  much 
solemnity.  "  She  is  dead.  If  you  were  calmer,  I  have 
proofs  to  convince  you  in  these  papers.  Here's  the  news- 
paper, too,  containing  the  notice  of  her  death,"  and  he 
handed  it  to  her. 

She  read  it  with  her  frightened  eyes,  and  then  the  paper 
dropped  from  her  half-paralyzed  hands  to  the  floor.  She 
was  so  unsophisticated,  and  her  brain  was  in  such  a  whirl 
of  confusion  and  terror,  that  she  was  led  to  believe  at  the 
moment  that  he  had  a  legal  claim  upon  her  which  he 
could  enforce. 

"  Oh,  that  Mr.  Holcroft  were  here  !  "  she  cried  desper- 
ately. "  He  wouldn't  deceive  me ;  he  never  deceived 
me." 

"  It  is  well  for  him  that  he  isn't  here,"  said  Ferguson, 
assuming  a  dark  look. 


''NEVER!''  339 

**  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  she  gasped. 

"  Come,  come,  Alida  I "  he  said,  smiling  reassuringly. 
**  You  are  frightened  and  nervous,  and  I  don't  wish  to 
make  you  any  more  so.  You  know  how  I  would  naturally 
regard  the  man  who  I  feel  has  my  wife  ;  but  let  us  forget 
about  him.  Listen  to  my  plan.  All  I  ask  of  you  is  to  go 
with  me  to  some  distant  place  where  neither  of  us  arc 
known,  and " 

"  Never  !"  she  interrupted. 

"  Don't  say  that,"  he  replied  coolly.  "  Do  you  think  I'm 
a  man  to  be  trifled  with  after  what  I've  been  through  ?  " 

"  You  can't  compel  me  to  go  against  my  will,"  and 
there  was  an  accent  of  terror  in  her  words  which  made 
them  a  question. 

He  saw  his  vantage  more  clearly  and  said  quietly,  "  1 
don't  want  to  compel  you  if  it  can  be  helped.  You  knoM 
how  true  I  was  to  you " 

*'  No,  no  !  you  deceived  me.     I  won't  believe  you  now.'' 

"  You  may  have  to.  At  any  rate,  you  know  how  fond 
I  was  of  you,  and  I  tell  you  plainly,  I  won't  give  you  up 
now.  This  man  doesn't  love  you,  nor  do  you  love 
him " 

"  I  do  love  him,  I'd  die  for  him  !  There  now,  you  know 
tne  truth.  You  wouldn't  compel  a  woman  to  follow  you 
who  shrinks  from  you  in  horror,  even  if  you  had  the  right. 
Although  the  ceremony  was  brief  it  was  a  ceremony  ;  and 
he  was  not  married  then,  as  you  were  when  you  deceived 
me.  He  has  ever  been  truth  itself,  and  I  won't  believe 
you  have  any  rights  till  he  tells  me  so  himself." 

"  So  you  shrink  from  me  with  horror,  do  you  ?  "  asked 
Ferguson,  rising,  his  face  growing  black  with  passion. 

•'  Yes,  I  do.  Now  leave  me  and  let  me  never  see  you 
again." 


340     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  And  you  are  going  to  ask  this  stupid  old  farmer  about 
my  rights  ?  " 

"Yes,  I'll  take  proof  of  them  from  no  other,  and  even 
if  he  confirmed  your  words  I'd  never  live  vi^ith  you  again. 
I  would  live  alone  till  I  died  !  " 

•'  That's  all  ver}^  foolish  high  tragedy,  but  if  you're  not 
careful  there  may  be  some  real  tragedy.  If  you  care  for 
this  Holcroft,  as  you  say,  you  had  better  go  quietly  away 
with  me." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  she  faltered  tremblingly. 

"  I  mean  I'm  a  desperate  man  whom  the  world  has 
wronged  too  much  already.  You  know  the  old  saying, 
•  Beware  of  the  quiet  man  ! '  You  know  how  quiet,  con- 
tented, and  happy  I  was  with  you,  and  so  I  would  be  again 
to  the  end  of  my  days.  You  are  the  only  one  who  can 
save  me  from  becoming  a  criminal,  a  vagabond,  for  with 
you  only  have  I  known  happiness.  Why  should  I  live  or 
care  to  live .''  If  this  farmer  clod  keeps  you  from  me,  woe 
betide  him  !  My  one  object  in  living  will  be  his  destruc- 
tion. I  shall  hate  him  only  as  a  man  robbed  as  I  am  can 
hate." 

"  What  would  you  do  ?  "  she  could  only  ask  in  a  hor- 
rified whisper. 

"  I  can  only  tell  you  that  he'd  never  be  safe  a  moment. 
I'm  not  afraid  of  him.  You  see  I'm  armed,"  and  he 
showed  her  a  revolver.  "  He  can't  quietly  keep  from  me 
what  I  feel  is  my  own." 

"  Merciful  Heaven  !  this  is  terrible,"  she  gasped. 

"  Of  course  it's  terrible.  I  mean  it  to  be  so.  You 
can't  order  me  off  as  if  I  were  a  tramp.  Your  best  course 
for  his  safety  is  to  go  quietly  with  me  at  once.  I  have  a 
carriage  waiting  near  at  hand." 

"No,  no!  I'd  rather  die  than  do  that,  and  though  he 


''NEVER!"  341 

cannot  feel  as  I  do,  I  believe  he'd  rather  die  than  have  me 
do  it." 

"  Oh,  well  !  if  you  think  he's  so  ready  to  die " 

"  No,  I  don't  mean  that !     Kill  me !     I  want  to  die." 

"  Why  should  I  kill  you  ? "  he  asked  with  a  con- 
temptuous laugh.  "  That  wouldn't  do  me  a  particle  of 
good.     It  will  be  your  own  fault  if  anyone  is  hurt." 

"  Was  ever  a  woman  put  in  such  a  cruel  position  !  " 

"  Oh,  yes  !  many  and  many  a  time.  As  a  rule,  though, 
they  are  too  sensible  and  kind-hearted  to  make  so  much 
trouble." 

"  If  you  have  legal  rights,  why  don't  you  quietly  enforce 
them  instead  of  threatening  ?  " 

For  a  moment  he  was  confused  and  then  said  reck- 
lessly, "  It  would  come  to  the  same  thing  in  the  end. 
Holcroft  would  never  give  you  up." 

"  He'd  have  to.  I  wouldn't  stay  here  a  moment  if  I 
had  no  right." 

"  But  you  said  you  would  not  live  with  me  again  ?  " 

"  Nor  would  I.  I'd  go  back  to  the  poorhouse  and  die 
there,  for  do  you  think  I  could  live  after  another  such 
experience  }  But  my  mind  has  grown  clearer.  You  are 
deceiving  me  again,  and  Mr.  Holcroft  is  incapable  of 
deceiving  me.  He  would  never  have  called  me  his  wife 
unless  I  was  his  wife  before  God  and  man." 

"  I'm  not  deceiving  you  in  regard  to  one  thing  !  "  he 
said  tragically. 

"  O  God,  what  shall  I  do  ?  " 

"  If  you  won't  go  with  me  you  must  leave  him,"  he 
replied,  believing  that,  if  this  step  were  taken,  others 
would  follow. 

"  If  I  leave  him — if  I  go  away  and  live  alone,  will  you 
promise  to  do  him  no  harm  ?  "  * 


342     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE. 

*'  I'd  have  no  motive  to  harm  him  then,  which  will  be 
better  security  than  a  promise.  At  the  same  time  I  do 
promise." 

"  And  you  will  also  promise  to  leave  me  utterly  alone  ?  " 

"  If  I  can." 

"  You  must  promise  never  even  to  tempt  me  to  think  of 
going  away.  I'd  rather  you'd  shoot  me  than  ask  it.  I'm 
not  a  weak,  timid  girl.  I'm  a  broken-hearted  woman 
who  fears  some  things  far  more  than  death." 

"  If  you  have  any  fears  for  Holcroft,  they  are  very 
rational  ones." 

"  It  is  for  his  sake  that  I  would  act.  I  would  rather 
suffer  anything  and  lose  ever)'thing  than  have  harm  come 
to  him." 

"All  I  can  say  is  that,  if  you  will  leave  him  completely 
and  finally,  I  will  let  him  alone.  But  you  must  do  it 
promptly.  Everything  depends  upon  this.  I'm  in  too 
reckless  and  bitter  a  mood  to  be  trifled  with.  Besides, 
I've  plenty  of  money  and  could  escape  from  the  country 
in  twenty-four  hours.  You  needn't  think  you  can  tell  this 
story  to  Holcroft  and  that  he  can  protect  you  and  him- 
self. I'm  here  under  an  assumed  name  and  have  seen 
no  one  who  knows  me.  I  may  have  to  disappear  for  a 
time  and  be  disguised  when  I  come  again,  but  I  pledge  you 
my  word  he'll  never  be  safe  as  long  as  you  are  under  his 
roof." 

"Then  I  will  sacrifice  myself  for  him,"  she  said,  pallid 
even  to  her  lips.  "  I  will  go  away.  But  never  dream 
that  you  can  come  near  me  again — you  who  deceived  and 
wronged  me,  and  now,  far  worse,  threaten  the  man 
I  love." 

"  We'll  see  about  that,"  he  replied  cynically.  "  At 
any  rate,  you  will  have  left  him." 


''NEVER!''  343 

**  Go  !  "  she  said  imperiously. 

*'  I'll  take  a  kiss  first,  sweetheart,"  he  said,  advancing 
with  a  sardonic  smile. 

"  Jane  !  "  she  shrieked.  He  paused,  and  she  saw  evi- 
dences of  alarm. 

The  girl  ran  lightly  out  of  the  dairy  room,  where  she 
had  been  a  greedy  listener  to  all  that  had  been  said,  and 
a  moment  later  appeared  in  the  yard  before  the  house. 
"  Yes'm,"  she  answered. 

"Be  careful  now,  sir,"  said  Alida  sternly.  "There's 
a  witness." 

"  Only  a  little  idiotic-looking  girl." 

"  She's  not  idiotic,  and  if  you  touch  me  the  compact's 
broken." 

"  Very  well,  my  time  will  come.  Remember,  you've 
been  warned,"  and  he  pulled  his  hat  over  his  eyes  and 
strode  away. 

"  Bah  !  "  said  Jane  with  a  snicker,  "  as  if  I  hadn't  seen 
his  ugly  mug  so  I'd  know  it  'mong  a  thousand." 

With  a  face  full  of  loathing  and  dread  Alida  watched 
her  enemy  disappear  down  the  lane,  and  then,  half  faint- 
ing, sank  on  the  lounge. 

"Jane !"  she  called  feebly,  but  there  was  no  answer. 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

JANE   PLAYS   MOUSE  TO   THE   LION. 

It  can  well  be  understood  that  Jane  had  no  disposition 
to  return  to  Mrs.  Holcroft  and  the  humdrum  duties  of  the 
house.  There  opened  before  her  an  exciting  line  of 
action  which  fully  accorded  with  her  nature,  and  she 
entered  upon  it  at  once.  Her  first  impulse  was  to  follow 
the  man  of  whom  she  had  learned  so  much.  Not  only 
was  she  spurred  to  this  course  by  her  curiosity,  but  also 
by  her  instinctive  loyalty  to  Holcroft,  and,  it  must  be 
admitted,  by  her  own  interests.  Poor  little  Jane  had 
been  nurtured  in  a  hard  school,  and  had  by  this  time 
learned  the  necessity  of  looking  out  for  herself.  This 
truth,  united  with  her  shrewd,  matter-of-fact  mind,  led 
her  to  do  the  most  sensible  thing  under  the  circum- 
stances. "  I  know  a  lot  now  that  he'll  be  glad  to  know, 
and  if  I  tell  him  ever}-thing  he'll  keep  me  always.  The 
first  thing  he'll  want  to  know  is  what's  become  of  that 
threatenin'  scamp,"  and  she  followed  Ferguson  with  the 
stealth  of  an  Indian. 

Ferguson  was  not  only  a  scamp,  but,  like  most  of  his 
class,  a  coward.  He  had  been  bitterly  disappointed  in  his 
interview  with  Alida.  As  far  as  his  selfish  nature  per- 
mitted, he  had  a  genuine  affection  for  her,  and  he  had 
thought  of  little  else  besides  her  evident  fondness  for 
him.     He  was  so  devoid  of  moral  principle  that  he  could 


JANE  PLAYS  MOUSE    TO    THE  LION.      345 

not  comprehend  a  nature  like  hers,  and  had  scarcely 
believed  it  possible  that  she  would  repulse  him  so 
inflexibly.  She  had  always  been  so  gentle,  yielding,  and 
subservient  to  his  wishes  that  he  had  thought  that,  hav- 
ing been  assured  of  his  wife's  death,  a  little  persuasion 
and  perhaps  a  few  threats  would  induce  her  to  follow 
him,  for  he  could  not  imagine  her  becoming  attached  to 
such  a  man  as  Holcroft  had  been  described  to  be.  Her 
uncompromising  principle  had  entered  but  slightly  into 
his  calculations,  and  so,  under  the  spur  of  anger  and 
selfishness,  he  had  easily  entered  upon  a  game  of  bluff. 
He  knew  well  enough  that  he  had  no  claim  upon  Alida, 
yet  it  was  in  harmony  with  his  false  heart  to  try  to  make 
her  think  so.  He  had  no  serious  intention  of  harming 
Holcroft — he  would  be  afraid  to  attempt  this— but  if  he 
could  so  work  on  Alida's  fears  as  to  induce  her  to  leave 
her  husband,  he  believed  that  the  future  would  be  full  of 
possibilities.  At  any  rate,  he  would  find  his  revenge  in 
making  Alida  and  Holcroft  all  the  trouble  possible. 
Even  in  the  excitement  of  the  interview,  however,  he 
realized  that  he  was  playing  a  dangerous  game,  and  when 
Jane  answered  so  readily  to  Alida's  call  he  was  not  a 
little  disturbed.  Satisfied  that  he  had  accomplished  all 
that  he  could  hope  for  at  present,  his  purpose  now  was  to 
get  back  to  town  unobserved  and  await  developments. 
He  therefore  walked  rapidly  down  the  lane  and  pursued 
the  road  for  a  short  distance  until  he  came  to  an  old,  dis- 
used lane,  leading  up  the  hillside  into  a  grove  where  he 
had  concealed  a  horse  and  buggy.  Unless  there  should 
be  necessity,  it  was  his  intention  to  remain  in  his  hiding 
place  until  after  nightfall. 

Jane  had  merely  to  skirt  the  bushy  hillside  higher  up, 
in  order  to  keep  Ferguson  in  view  and  discover  the  spot 


346     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE. 

in  which  he  was  lurking.  Instead  of  returning  to  the 
house  she  kept  right  on,  maintaining  a  sharp  eye  on  the 
road  beneath  to  make  sure  that  Holcroft  did  not  pass 
unobserved.  By  an  extended  detour,  she  reached  the 
highway  and  continued  toward  town  in  the  hope  of  meet- 
ing the  farmer.  At  last  she  saw  him  driving  rapidly 
homeward.  He  was  consumed  with  anxiety  to  be 
at  least  near  to  Alida,  even  if,  as  he  believed,  he  was  no 
longer  welcome  in  her  presence.  When  Jane  stepped 
cut  into  the  road  he  pulled  up  his  horses  and  stared  at 
her.  She,  almost  bursting  with  her  great  secrets,  put  her 
finger  on  her  lips  and  nodded  portentously, 

"Well,  what  is  it  ?  "  he  asked,  his  heart  beating  quickly. 

"I've  got  a  lot  to  tell  yer,  but  don't  want  no  one  to 
see  us." 

"  About  my  wife  ?  " 

The  girl  nodded. 

"  Good  God  !  speak  then.  Is  she  sick  ? "  and  he 
sprung  out  and  caught  her  arm  with  a  grip  that  hurt  her. 

"  Please,  sir,  I'm  doin'  all  I  kin  for  yer  and — and  you 
hurt  me." 

Holcroft  saw  the  tears  coming  to  her  eyes  and  he 
released  his  hold  as  he  said,  "  Forgive  me,  Jane,  I  didn't 
mean  to ;  but  for  mercy's  sake,  tell  your  story." 

"  It's  a  long  'un." 

"  Well,  well,  give  me  the  gist  of  it  in  a  word." 

"  I  guess  she's  goin'  to  run  away." 

Holcroft  groaned  and  almost  staggered  to  his  horses' 
heads,  then  led  them  to  the  roadside  and  tied  them  to  a 
tree.  Sitting  down,  as  if  too  weak  to  stand,  he  buried 
his  face  in  his  hands.  He  could  not  bear  to  have  Jane 
see  his  distress.  "  Tell  your  story,"  he  said  hoarsely, 
"  quick,  for  I  may  have  to  act  quickly." 


JANE  PLA  YS  MOUSE    TO    THE  LION.      347 

"  Guess  yer  will.     Did  yer  know  she  was  married  ?  " 

"  Certainly — to  me." 

"  No,  to  another  man— married  by  a  minister.  He's 
been  there  with  her."  She  little  foresaw  the  effect  of  her 
words,  for  the  farmer  bounded  to  his  feet  with  an  oath 
and  sprang  to  his  horses. 

"  Stop  !  "  cried  Jane,  tugging  at  his  arm.  "  If  you  go 
rushin'  home  now,  you'll  show  you've  got  no  more  sense 
than  mother.  You'll  spoil  everything.  She  aint  goin'  to 
run  away  with  him — she  said  she  wouldn't,  though  he 
coaxed  and  threatened  to  kill  yer  if  she  didn't.  'Fi's  a 
man  I  wouldn't  act  like  a  mad  bull.  I'd  find  out  how  to 
get  ahead  of  t'other  man." 

"  Well,"  said  Holcroft,  in  a  voice  that  frightened  the 
child,  "she  said  she  wouldn't  run  away  with  this 
scoundrel — of  course  not — but  you  say  she's  going  to 
leave.  She'll  meet  him  somewhere — good  God  !— but 
how  should  you  understand  ?     Come,  let  me  get  home  I  " 

"  I  understand  a  sight  more'n  you  do,  and  you  go  on 
30  that  I  can't  tell  you  anything.  If  you  showed  sense 
you'd  be  glad  I  was  lookin'  out  for  you  so  I  could  tell 
you  everything.  What's  the  good  of  goin'  rampaigin' 
home  when,  if  you'd  only  listen,  you  could  get  even  with 
that  scoundrel,  as  yer  call  'im,  and  make  all  right,"  and 
Jane  began  to  cry. 

"  Oh,  thunder  !  "  exclaimed  the  chafing  man,  "  tell  me 
your  story  at  once,  or  you'll  drive  me  mad.  You  don't 
half  know  what  you're  talking  about  or  how  much  your 
words  mean — how  should  you  ?  The  thing  to  do  is  to 
get  home  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  You  aint  no  reason  to  be  so  mad  and  glum  all  the 
while,"  cried  Jane,  smarting  under  a  sense  of  injustice. 
"  Here  I'm  a-tryin*  to  do  for  you,  and  you'll  be  sorry 


348     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE, 

ernuff  if  you  don't  stop  and  listen.  And  she's  been 
a-tryin'  to  do  for  you  all  along,  and  she's  been  standin'  up 
for  you  this  afternoon,  and  is  goin'  to  run  away  to  save 
your  life." 

"  Run  away  to  save  my  life  ?     Are  you  crazy  ?  " 

"No,  but  you  be,"  cried  the  girl,  excited  and  exas- 
perated beyond  restraint.  "  If  she  is  your  wife  I'd  stand 
up  for  her  and  take  care  of  her,  since  she  stands  up  for 
you  so.  'Stead  of  that,  you  go  round  as  glum  as  a 
thundercloud  and  now  want  to  go  ragin'  home  to  her. 
Dunno  whether  she's  your  wife  or  not,  but  I  do  know  she 
said  she  loved  you  and  'ud  die  for  you,  and  she  wouldn't 
do  a  thing  that  man  asked  but  go  away  to  save  your  life." 

Holcroft  looked  at  the  girl  as  if  dazed.  "  Said  she 
loved  me  ?  "  he  repeated  slowly. 

"  Of  course !  You  knowed  that  all  'long — anybody 
could  see  it — an'  you  don't  treat  her  much  better'n  you 
did  mother."  Then,  with  an  impatient  gesture,  she 
asked,  "  Will  you  sit  down  and  listen .''  " 

"  No,  I  won't !"  he  cried,  springing  toward  his  horses. 
*'  I'll  find  out  if  your  words  are  true." 

"  Oh,  yes  !  "  said  Jane  contemptuously;  "run  right  to 
her  to  find  out  somethin'  as  plain  as  the  nose  on  her 
face,  and  run  right  by  the  man  that  w^as  threatenin'  her 
and  you  too." 

Wheeling  round,  he  asked,  "  Where  is  he  ?  " 

"  I  know,  but  I  won't  say  'nuther  word  till  you  stop 
goin'  on.  'Fi's  a  man  I'd  find  out  what  to  do  'fore  I  did 
anythin'." 

Jane  had  little  comprehension  of  the  tempest  she  had 
raised  in  Holcroft's  soul  or  its  causes,  and  so  was  in  no 
mood  to  make  allowances  for  him.  By  this  time,  the  first 
gust  of  his  passion  was  passing  and  reason  resuming  its 


JANE  PLAYS  MOUSE    TO    THE   LION.      349 

sway.  He  paced  up  and  down  in  the  road  a  moment  or 
two,  and  then  sat  down  as  he  said,  "  I  don't  half  under- 
stand what  you've  been  talking  about  and  I  fear  you 
don't.  You've  evidently  been  listening  and  watching 
and  have  got  hold  of  something.  Now,  I'll  be  as  patient 
as  I  can  if  you'll  tell  me  the  whole  story  quickly,"  and  he 
turned  his  flushed,  quivering  face  toward  her. 

"  Then  I  s'pose  you'll  scold  me  for  listenin'  and 
watchin'  that  scamp,"  said  the  girl  sullenly. 

"  No,  Jane,  not  in  this  case.  Unless  your  impressions 
are  all  mistaken  I  may  have  to  thank  you  all  my  life. 
I'm  not  one  to  forget  those  who  are  true  to  me.  Now, 
begin  at  the  beginning  and  go  right  through  to  the  end  ; 
then  I  may  understand  better  than  you  can." 

Jane  did  as  she  was  told,  and  many  "  says  he's"  and 
"  says  she's  "  followed  in  her  literal  narrative.  Holcroft 
again  dropped  his  face  into  his  hands,  and  before  she  was 
through  tears  of  joy  trickled  through  his  fingers.  When 
she  finished,  he  arose,  turned  away,  and  hastily  wiped 
his  eyes,  then  gave  the  girl  his  hand  as  he  said,  "  Thank 
you,  Jane.  You've  tried  to  be  a  true  friend  to  me  to-day. 
riT  show  you  that  I  don't  forget.  I  was  a  fool  to  get  in 
such  a  rage,  but  you  can't  understand  and  must  forgive 
me.  Come,  you  see  I'm  quiet  now,"  and  he  untied  the 
horses  and  lifted  her  into  his  wagon. 

"  What  yer  goin'  to  do  ?  "  she  asked,  as  they  drove 
away, 

"  I'm  going  to  reward  you  for  watching  and  listening 
to  that  scoundrel,  but  you  must  not  watch  me  or  Mrs. 
Holcroft,  or  listen  to  what  we  say  unless  we  speak 
before  you.  If  you  do  I  shall  be  very  angry.  Now, 
you've  only  one  thing  more  to  do  and  that  is,  show  me 
where  this  man  is  hiding." 


350     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

"  But  you  won't  go  near  him  alone  ?  "  inquired  Jane  in 
much  alarm. 

"You  must  do  as  I  bid  you,"  he  replied  sternly. 
"  Show  me  where  he's  hiding,  then  stay  by  the  wagon 
and  horses." 

"But  he  same  as  said  he'd  kill  you." 

"  You  have  your  orders,"  was  his  quiet  reply. 

She  looked  scared  enough,  but  remained  silent  until 
they  reached  a  shaded  spot  on  the  road,  then  said,  "  If 
you  don't  want  him  to  see  you  too  soon,  better  tie  here. 
He's  around  yonder,  in  a  grove  up  on  the  hill." 

Holcroft  drove  to  a  tree  by  the  side  of  the  highway  and 
again  tied  his  horses,  then  took  the  whip  from  the  wagon. 
"  Are  you  afraid  to  go  with  me  a  little  way  and  show  me 
just  where  he  is  .'*  "  he  asked. 

"  No,  but  you  oughtn'  ter  go." 

"Come  on,  then  !  You  must  mind  me  if  you  wish  to 
keep  my  good  will.  I  know  what  I'm  about."  As  in  his 
former  encounter,  his  weapon  was  again  a  long,  tough 
vvhipstock  with  a  leather  thong  attached.  This  he  cut 
off  and  put  in  his  pocket,  then  followed  Jane's  rapid  lead 
up  the  hill.  Very  soon  she  said,  "  There's  the  pla(?e  I 
saw  'im  in.     If  you  will  go,  I'd  steal  up  on  him." 

"Yes.  You  stay  here."  She  made  no  reply,  but  the 
moment  he  disappeared  she  was  upon  his  trail.  Her 
curiosity  was  much  greater  than  her  timidity,  and  she 
justly  reasoned  that  she  had  little  to  fear. 

Holcroft  approached  from  a  point  whence  Ferguson  was 
expecting  no  danger.  The  latter  was  lying  on  the  ground, 
gnawing  his  nails  in  vexation,  when  he  first  heard  the 
farmer's  step.  Then  he  saw  a  dark-visaged  man  rushing 
upon  him.  In  the  impulse  of  his  terror,  he  drew  his  revolver 
and  fired.     The  ball  hissed  near,  but  did  no  harm,  and 


JANE  PLAYS  MOUSE    TO    THE  LION.     351 

before  Ferguson  could  use  his  weapon  again,  a  blow  from 
the  whipstock  paralyzed  his  arm  and  the  pistol  dropped 
to  the  ground.  So  also  did  its  owner  a  moment  later, 
under  a  vindictive  rain  of  blows,  until  he  shrieked  for 
mercy. 

"  Don't  move  ! "  said  Holcroft  sternly,  and  he  picked  up 
the  revolver.     "  So  you  meant  to  kill  me,  eh  }  " 

"  No,  no  !  I  didn't.  I  wouldn't  have  fired  if  it  hadn't 
been  in  self-defense  and  because  I  hadn't  time  to  think." 
He  spoke  with  difficulty,  for  his  mouth  was  bleeding  and 
he  was  terribly  bruised. 

"  A  liar,  too  !  "  said  the  farmer,  glowering  down  upon 
him.  "  But  I  knew  that  before.  What  did  you  mean  by 
your  threats  to  my  wife  ?  " 

"  See  here,  Mr.  Holcroft ;  I'm  down  and  at  your  mercy. 
If  you'll  let  me  off  I'll  go  away  and  never  trouble  you  or 
your  wife  again." 

"  Oh,  no  !  "  said  Holcroft  with  a  bitter  laugh.  "  You'll 
never,  never  trouble  us  again." 

"  What,  do  you  mean  to  murder  me  ?  "  Ferguson  half 
shrieked. 

"  Would  killing  such  a  thing  as  you  be  murder?  Any 
jury  in  the  land  would  acquit  me.  You  ought  to  be 
roasted  over  a  slow  fire." 

The  fellow  tried  to  scramble  on  his  knees,  but  Holcroft 
hit  him  another  savage  blow,  and  said,  "  Lie  still  ! " 

Ferguson  began  to  wring  his  hands  and  beg  for  mercy. 
His  captor  stood  over  him  a  moment  or  two  irresolutely 
in  his  white-heated  anger ;  then  thoughts  of  his  wife 
began  to  soften  him.  He  could  not  go  to  her  with  blood 
on  his  hands — she  who  had  taught  him  such  lessons  of 
forbearance  and  forgiveness.  He  put  the  pistol  in  his 
pocket  and  giving  his  enemy  a  kick,  said,  "  Get  up  !  " 


352     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE, 

The  man  rose  with  difficulty. 

"  I  won't  waste  time  in  asking  any  promises  ix ova  you, 
but  if  you  ever  trouble  my  wife  or  me  again,  I'll  break 
every  bone  in  your  body.  Go,  quick,  before  my  mood 
changes,  and  don't  say  a  word." 

As  the  man  tremblingly  untied  his  horse,  Jane  stepped 
out  before  him  and  said,  "I'm  a  little  idiotic  girl, 
am  I  ?  " 

He  was  too  thoroughly  cowed  to  make  any  reply  and 
drove  as  rapidly  away  as  the  ground  permitted,  guiding 
his  horse  with  difficulty  in  his  maimed  condition. 

Jane,  in  the  exuberance  of  her  pleasure,  began  some- 
thing like  a  jig  on  the  scene  of  conflict,  and  her  antics 
were  so  ridiculous  that  Holcroft  had  to  turn  away  to 
repress  a  smile.  "You  didn't  mind  me,  Jane,"  he  said 
gravely. 

"Well,  sir,"  she  replied,  "after  showin'  you  the 
way  to  'im,  you  oughter  not  grudge  me  seein'  the 
fun." 

"  But  it  isn't  nice  for  little  girls  to  see  such  things." 

"  Never  saw  anything  nicer  in  my  life.  You're  the  kind 
of  man  I  believe  in,  you  are.  Golly  !  only  wished  shed 
seen  you.  I've  seen  many  a  rough  and  tumble  'mong 
farm  hands,  but  never  anything  like  this.  It  was  only 
his  pistol  I  was  'fraid  of." 

"  Will  you  do  exactly  what  I  say  now  }  "     She  nodded. 

"  Well,  go  home  across  the  fields  and  don't  by  word 
or  manner  let  Mrs,  Holcroft  know  what  you've  seen  or 
heard,  and  say  nothing  about  meeting  me.  Just  make 
her  think  you  know  nothing  at  all  and  that  you  only 
watched  the  man  out  of  sight.  Do  this  and  I'll  give  you 
a  new  dress." 

"  I'd  like  somethin'  else  'sides  that." 


JANE  PLAYS  MOUSE    TO    THE  LION.      353 

"Well,  what?" 

"  I'd  like  to  be  sure  I  could  stay  right  on  with  you." 

"  Yes,  Jane,  after  to-day,  as  long  as  you're  a  good  girl. 
Now  go,  for  I  must  get  back  to  my  team  before  this 
scamp  goes  by." 

She  darted  homeward  as  the  farmer  returned  to  his 
wagon.  Ferguson  soon  appeared  and  seemed  much 
startled  as  he  saw  his  Nemesis  again.  "  I'll  keep  my 
word,"  he  said,  as  he  drove  by. 

"  You'd  better  !  "  called  the  farmer.  "  You  know  what 
to  expect  now." 

Alida  was  so  prostrated  by  the  shock  of  the  interview 
that  she  rallied  slowly.  At  last  she  saw  that  it  was 
getting  late  and  that  she  soon  might  expect  the  return  of 
her  husband.  She  dragged  herself  to  the  door  and  again 
called  Jane,  but  the  place  was  evidently  deserted.  Even- 
ing was  coming  on  tranquilly,  with  all  its  sweet  June 
sounds,  but  now  every  bird  song  was  like  a  knell.  She 
sunk  on  the  porch  seat  and  looked  at  the  landscape, 
already  so  dear  and  familiar,  as  if  she  were  taking  a  final 
farewell  of  a  friend.  Then  she  turned  to  the  homely 
kitchen  to  which  she  had  first  been  brought.  "  I  can  do 
a  little  more  for  him,"  she  thought,  "before  I  make  the 
last  sacrifice  which  will  soon  bring  the  end.  I  think  I  could 
have  lived — lived,  perhaps,  till  I  was  old,  if  I  had  gone 
among  strangers  from  the  almshouse,  but  I  can't  now. 
My  heart  is  broken.  Now  that  I've  seen  that  man  again 
I  understand  why  my  husband  cannot  love  me.  Even 
the  thought  of  touching  me  must  make  him  shudder. 
But  I  can't  bear  up  under  such  a  load  much  longer,  and 
that's  my  comfort.  It's  best  I  should  go  away  now  ;  I 
couldn't  do  otherwise,"  and  the  tragedy  went  on  in  her 
soul  as  she  feebly  prepared  her  husband's  meal. 


354     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS   WIFE. 

At  last  Jane  came  in  with  her  basket  of  peas.  Her 
face  was  so  impassive  as  to  suggest  that  she  had  no 
knowledge  of  anything  except  that  there  had  been  a 
visitor,  and  Alida  had  sunk  into  such  depths  of  despair^ 
ing  sorrow  that  she  scarcely  noticed  the  child. 


CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

"  SHRINK   FROM    YOU?  " 

HOLCROFT  soon  came  driving  slowly  up  the  lane  as  if 
nothing  unusual  was  on  his  mind.  Having  tied  his 
horses,  he  brought  in  an  armful  of  bundles  and  said 
kindly,  "  Well,  Alida,  here  I  am  again,  and  I  guess  I've 
brought  enough  to  last  well  through  haying  time." 

"  Yes,"  she  replied  with  averted  face.  This  did  not 
trouble  him  any  now,  but  her  extreme  palloi  did  and  he 
added,  "  You  don't  look  well.  I  wouldn't  mind  getting 
much  supper  to-night.     Let  Jane  do  the  work." 

"  I'd  rather  do  it,"  she  replied. 

"  Oh,  well ! "  laughing  pleasantly,  "  you  shall  have  your 
own  way.  Who  has  a  better  right  than  you,  I'd  like  to 
know  ?  " 

"  Don't  speak  that  way,"  she  said  almost  harshly, 
under  the  tension  of  her  feelings.  "  I — I  can't  stand  it. 
Speak  and  look  as  you  did  before  you  went  away." 

"  Jane,"  said  the  farmer,  "  go  and  gather  the  eggs." 

As  soon  as  they  were  alone,  he  began  gently, 
-  Alida " 

"  Please  don't  speak  so  to  me  to-day.  I've  endured 
all  I  can.  I  can't  keep  up  another  minute  unless  you 
let  things  go  on  as  they  were.  To-morrow  I'll  try  to 
tell  you  all.     It's  your  right." 

"  I  didn't  mean  to  say  anything  myself  till  after  supper. 


356      HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

and  perhaps  not  till  to-morrow,  but  I  think  I'd  better.  It 
will  be  better  for  us  both,  and  our  minds  will  be  more  at 
rest.     Come  with  me  into  the  parlor,  Alida." 

"  Well,  perhaps  the  sooner  it's  over  the  better,"  she 
said  faintly  and  huskily. 

She  sunk  on  the  lounge  and  looked  at  him  with  such 
despairing  eyes  that  tears  came  into  his  own. 

"  Alida,"  he  began  hesitatingly,  "  after  I  left  you  this 
noon  I  felt  I  must  speak  with  and  be  frank  with  you." 

"  No,  no  ! "  she  cried,  with  an  imploring  gesture,  "  if  it 
must  be  said,  let  me  say  it.  I  couldn't  endure  to  hear  it 
from  you.  Before  you  went  away  I  understood  it  all, 
and  this  afternoon  the  truth  has  been  burned  into  my 
soul.  That  horrible  man  has  been  here — the  man  I 
thought  my  husband — and  he  has  made  it  clearer,  if 
possible.  I  don't  blame  you  that  you  shrink  from  me  as 
if  I  were  a  leper.     I  feel  as  if  I  were  one." 

"  /  shrink  from  yo2i  !  "  he  exclaimed. 

"  Yes.  Can  you  think  I  haven't  seen  the  repugnance 
growing  in  spite  of  yourself  ?  When  I  thought  of  that 
man — especially  when  he  came  to-day — 1  understood 
TvAy  too  well.  I  cannot  stay  here  any  longer.  You'd 
try  to  be  kind  and  considerate,  but  I'd  know  how  you 
felt  all  the  time.  It  would  not  be  safe  for  you  and  it 
would  not  be  right  for  me  to  stay,  either,  and  that  settles 
it.  Be — be  as  kind  to  me — as  you  can  a  few — a  few 
hours  longer,  and  then  let  me  go  quietly."  Her  self-con- 
trol gave  way,  and  burying  her  face  in  her  hands,  she 
sobbed  convulsively. 

In  a  moment  he  was  on  his  knees  beside  her,  with  his 
arm  about  her  waist.  "  Alida,  dear  Alida  !  "  he  cried, 
"  we've  both  been  in  the  dark  about  each  other.  What 
I  resolved  to  do,  when  I  started  for  town,  was  to  tell  you 


''  SHRINK  FROM  \0\J'i'*  357 

that  I  had  learned  to  love  you  and  to  throw  myself  on 
your  mercy.  I  thought  you  saw  I  was  loving  you  and 
that  you  couldn't  bear  to  think  of  such  a  thing  in  an  old, 
homely  fellow  like  me.  That  was  all  that  was  in  my 
mind,  so  help  me  God !  " 

"But — but  //<?'j  been  here,"  she  faltered;  "you  don't 
realize " 

"  I  don't  believe  I  do  or  can,  yet,  Alida,  dear,  but  that 
blessed  Jane's  spying  trait  has  served  me  the  best  turn  in 
the  world.  She  heard  every  brave  word  you  said  and  I 
shed  tears  of  joy  when  she  told  me  ;  and  tears  are  slow 
coming  to  my  eyes.  You  think  I  shrink  from  you,  do 
you  ?  "  and  he  kissed  her  hands  passionately.  "  See,"  he 
cried,  "  I  kneel  to  you  in  gratitude  for  all  you've  been  to 
me  and  are  to  me." 

"Oh,  James!  please  rise.     It's  too  much." 

"  No,  not  till  you  promise  to  go  with  me  to  a  minister 
and  hear  me  promise  to  love,  cherish — yes,  in  your  case 
I'll  promise  to  obey." 

She  bowed  her  head  upon  his  shoulder  in  answer. 
Springing  up,  he  clasped  her  close  and  kissed  away  her 
tears  as  he  exclaimed,  "  No  more  business  marriage  for 
me,  if  you  please.  There  never  was  a  man  so  in  love 
with  his  wife." 

Suddenly  she  looked  up  and  said  fearfully,  "  James,  he 
threatened  you.  He  said  you'd  never  be  safe  a  moment 
as  long  as  I  stayed  here." 

His  answer  was  a  peal  of  laughter.  "  I've  done 
more  than  threaten  him.  I've  whipped  him  within  an 
inch  of  his  life,  and  it  was  the  thought  of  you  that  led  me, 
in  my  rage,  to  spare  his  life.  I'll  tell  you  all— I'm  going 
to  tell  you  everything  now.  How  much  trouble  I  might 
have  saved  if  I  had  told  you  my  thoughts  !     What  was 


35S     HE  FELL  IN  LOVE    WITH  HIS    WIFE. 

there,  Alida,  in  an  old  fellow  like  me  that  led  you  to  care 
so  ?  " 

Looking  up  shyly,  she  replied,  "  I  think  it  was  the  7nan 
in  you — and — then  you  stood  up  for  me  so." 

"Well,  love  is  blind,  I  suppose,  but  it  don't  seem  to  me 
that  mine  is.  There  never  was  a  man  so  taken  in  at  his 
marriage.  You  were  so  different  from  what  I  expected 
that  I  began  loving  you  before  I  knew  it,  but  I  thought 
you  were  good  to  me  just  as  you  were  to  Jane — from  a 
sense  of  duty — and  that  you  couldn't  abide  me  personally. 
So  I  tried  to  keep  out  of  your  way.  And,  Alida,  dear,  I 
thought  at  first  that  I  was  taken  by  your  good  traits  and 
your  education  and  all  that,  but  I  found  out  at  last  that  I 
had  fallen  in  love  withj^w.  Now  you  know  all.  You 
feel  better  now,  don't  you  1  " 

"  Yes,"  she  breathed  softly. 

"  You've  had  enough  to  wear  a  saint  out,"  he  continued 
kindly.  "Lie  down  on  the  lounge  and  I'll  bring  your 
supper  to  you." 

"  No,  please  !  It  will  do  me  more  good  to  go  on  and 
act  as  if  nothing  had  happened." 

"  Well,  have  your  own  way,  little  wife.  You're  boss 
now,  sure  enough." 

She  drew  him  to  the  porch,  and  together  they  looked 
upon  the  June  landscape  which  she  had  regarded  with 
such  despairing  eyes  an  hour  before. 

"  Happiness  never  kills,  after  all,"  she  said. 

"  Shouldn't  be  alive  if  it  did,"  he  replied.  "  The  birds 
seem  to  sing  as  if  they  knew." 

Jane  emerged  from  the  barn  door  with  a  basket  of  eggs, 
and  Alida  sped  away  to  meet  her.  The  first  thing  the 
child  knew  the  arms  of  her  mistress  were  about  her  neck 
and  she  was  kissed  again  and  again. 


'♦  SHRINK  FROM  YOU  ?  "  359 

"  What  did  you  do  that  for?  "  she  asked. 

"You'll  understand  some  day." 

"  Say,"  said  Jane  in  an  impulse  of  good  will,  "  if  you're 
only  half  married  to  Mr.  Holcroft,  I'd  go  the  whole  figure, 
'fi's  you.  If  you'd  'a'  seen  him  a-thrashin'  that  scamp 
you'd  know  he's  the  man  to  take  care  of  you." 

"  Yes,  Jane,  I  know.     He'll  take  care  of  me  always." 

The  next  morning  Holcroft  and  Alida  drove  to  town 
and  went  to  the  church  which  she  and  her  mother  used 
to  attend.  After  the  service  they  followed  the  clergyman 
home,  where  Alida  again  told  him  her  story,  though  not 
without  much  help  from  the  farmer.  After  some  kindly 
reproach  that  she  had  not  brought  her  troubles  to  him  at 
first,  the  minister  performed  a  ceremony  which  found 
deep  echoes  in  both  their  hearts. 

Time  and  right,  sensible  living  soon  remove  prejudice 
from  the  hearts  of  the  good  and  stop  the  mouths  of  the 
cynical  and  scandal-loving.  Alida's  influence,  and  the 
farmer's  broadening  and  more  unselfish  views,  gradually 
brought  him  into  a  better  understanding  of  his  faith,  and 
into  a  kinder  sympathy  and  charity  for  his  neighbors  than 
he  had  ever  known.  His  relations  to  the  society  of  which 
he  was  a  part  became  natural  and  friendly,  and  his  house 
a  pretty  and  a  hospitable  home.  Even  Mrs.  Watterly 
eventually  entered  its  portals.  She  and  others  were  com- 
pelled to  agree  with  Watterly  that  Alida  was  not  of  the 
"  common  sort,"  and  that  the  happiest  good  fortune  which 
could  befall  any  man  had  come  to  Holcroft  when  he  fell 
in  love  with  his  wife. 


THE  END. 


UCSB   LIBRARY 


,.  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACIUT| 


B     000  007  885     7 


